Minister promises exclusion of inhabited and agricultural areas from Ecologically Sensitive Area
He says the the State will submit a comprehensive response to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change within the stipulated period
Agriculture Minister T. Siddique has assured that inhabited and agricultural regions will not be included in Kerala's proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in the Western Ghats. The Centre's seventh draft ESA notification, released on July 25, encompasses 9,993.7 sq. km across 131 villages in the state. The 60-day window for submitting objections and suggestions on the draft notification will close on September 24, after which the State government will submit a thorough response to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The government aims to exclude more than 30 villages from the proposed ESA list, while seeking to remove inhabited areas and agricultural land from the ESA boundaries in the remaining villages, Siddique stated at a press conference. Ongoing consultations are being led by the Chief Minister and key Ministers, including those of Environment, Agriculture, Revenue, and Forests, along with senior officials.
The government is committed to ensuring that the final ESA boundaries do not negatively impact inhabited and agricultural areas, Siddique emphasized.
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