Special grama sabhas to be held in 52 panchayats in Idukki to discuss ESA
Main aim of the special grama sabhas is to ensure that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change exclude farmlands and human habitations from the ESA
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is set to receive formal resolutions from 52 panchayats in Idukki following the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) draft notification. The special ‘special grama sabhas’, convened by the Grama Panchayat Presidents’ Association, aim to exclude farmlands and human habitations from the ESA.
District president M. M. Varghese emphasized the impact of including populated areas on local residents' livelihoods and called for clarity on the ESA's boundaries, urging the Centre to limit it to 8,590.69 sq km of actual forest tracts across 98 villages.
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