Karnataka Legislature Rejects Western Ghats ESA Draft, Seeks Ground-Level Study

The Karnataka Legislature has decided to reject the draft notification that seeks to declare large tracts of the Western Ghats an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), reiterating a position the State has taken repeatedly against the proposal.

The draft traces its origins to the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee, which was tasked with suggesting how the ecologically fragile hill range should be protected. The committee proposed that a substantial portion of the Western Ghats be notified as an ESA, a move that would place restrictions on activities such as construction, mining and certain agricultural practices in the identified zones.

Karnataka has consistently opposed the draft, arguing that its provisions would hurt the livelihoods of farmers, plantation owners and residents of the region. The State's objection centres on the extent of the area proposed to be brought under the ESA and the restrictions that would follow.

As an alternative, Karnataka has proposed that the way forward should rest on a ground-level study, rather than on a notification based on the committee's recommendations. The State has maintained that such a study would give a clearer picture of local conditions before any final decision is taken.

The decision by the Legislature on September 22 marks the latest chapter in the long-running dispute over how the Western Ghats — one of the world's recognised biodiversity hotspots — should be conserved while balancing the interests of those who live and work in the region.