Kerala Rules Out Forcible Land Acquisition, to Press for Narrower ESA Notification
Kerala will not forcibly acquire farmers' land under environmental laws and will urge the Centre to restrict the ESA notification to 98 villages, the Forest Minister said.
Kerala has ruled out forcible acquisition of farmland under environmental laws, with the state set to urge the Centre to confine the ecologically sensitive area (ESA) notification to 98 villages.
The assurance came from the Forest Minister during a discussion in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday with representatives of farmers' organisations from forest fringe areas. The meeting focused on measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and related concerns affecting these communities.
The Minister said that in cases where land acquisition is found unavoidable, it will be carried out only after compensation is provided to the affected farmers.
The state's position signals a twin approach: protecting forest-fringe cultivators from involuntary displacement while seeking a narrower footprint for the ESA notification, which governs land use around protected habitats.
Farmers' groups from areas bordering forests have long flagged crop damage and safety risks from wildlife, alongside worries over restrictions tied to conservation rules. Tuesday's discussion was aimed at addressing both the conflict with animals and the land-related anxieties raised by these communities.