Kasturirangan Report: Both Houses of Karnataka Legislature adopt resolution urging Centre to confine ESA to notified forests
The resolution has sought one year time to take up physical survey of areas; says a high-power committee led by a retired judge would be formed to suggest corrections to ‘lacunae’ in the report
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, both houses of the Karnataka Legislature unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Central government to confine the Ecological Sensitive Area (ESA) identified in the Kasturirangan report to only notified forests. The resolution, tabled by Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, also sought a one-year timeframe for the State to conduct a physical survey of the ESA areas.
The decision to finalize the draft notification on ESA would be made after the physical survey is completed and a report submitted to the Centre. A high-level committee would be formed to suggest modifications to the Kasturirangan report and address its perceived deficiencies. The State government would also establish committees at the village panchayat level to assist the high-level committee.
The resolution demanded that ESA should not encompass agricultural/horticultural/plantation lands, human settlements, and areas of public activities. The experts' committee would demarcate the boundary of forests and human settlements through a physical survey based on revenue survey numbers. The resolution highlighted concerns about ESA's inaccuracy due to reliance on satellite data and its potential to inconvenience affected farmers and people.
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