‘State to recommend rejection of draft on Kasturirangan report’

The Karnataka government plans to recommend rejecting the draft notification based on the Kasturirangan report concerning the Western Ghats, announced forest minister Ramalinga Reddy in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The proposal was brought up during a discussion under Rule 69 by Virajpet MLA and the chief minister's political secretary, AS Ponnanna, who expressed concerns from farmers and residents of Kodagu and other Malnad districts regarding the draft notification issued by the Union ministry of environment, forest, and climate change on July 26.

Ponnanna noted that the proposed notification had generated anxiety among thousands of families living in the Western Ghats and appealed for the government to adopt a firm stance against its implementation. Responding to Ponnanna, Reddy mentioned that the Kasturirangan report would impact 39 taluks spread across 10 districts in Karnataka.

He reiterated that the state had previously opposed the recommendations and would again recommend their rejection. The state has a 60-day window to submit its objections to the draft notification. The Kasturirangan committee was set up after substantial opposition to the earlier Gadgil report on safeguarding the Western Ghats. The Gadgil committee presented its report on August 11, 2011, while the Kasturirangan committee submitted its report on April 15, 2013.

The proposed restrictions, aiming to identify ecologically sensitive areas and limiting activities like mining, quarrying, and specific large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects, have faced resistance from residents and elected representatives in multiple Western Ghats districts. They fear that stringent environmental regulations could adversely affect agriculture, construction, infrastructure development, and livelihoods.

The Karnataka government's decision to recommend rejection is anticipated to reinforce its stance against the implementation of the report in the state. Ponnanna told reporters that the matter should have been handled as a concern for farmers and residents instead of being politicized. He emphasized that the Kasturirangan report was discussed in the assembly under Rule 69, and the union government released a draft notification on July 26, 2026, causing fear among thousands of villagers in the Malnad region.

Ponnanna added that they aimed to convey a clear message to the center during the assembly's discussion.