Pathanamthitta ESA row persists as Kerala's revised proposal offers only partial relief
Kerala's revised ESA proposal for Pathanamthitta seeks to exclude inhabited areas and farmland, but no village gets full exclusion, leaving the row unresolved.
The controversy over the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) regime in Pathanamthitta district shows no sign of easing, even after the Kerala government revised its proposal to seek the exclusion of inhabited areas and farmland from the protected zone.
The State government's move, aimed at addressing local concerns, has failed to calm tempers in the district. Residents and stakeholders remain dissatisfied because the revised proposal does not offer complete exclusion for any of the seven villages covered by the Centre's draft notification.
The Centre's draft notification had proposed bringing these seven villages under the ESA regime, a move that triggered widespread apprehension in the district. In response, the State government put forward a revised proposal seeking to keep inhabited areas and farmland out of the ESA's ambit.
However, the partial nature of the relief has not satisfied those opposing the draft notification. With no village receiving a full exemption, the row continues to simmer in Pathanamthitta.