Western Ghats ESA: Keralam submits recommendations to Centre, seeks limiting area to 8,590 sq km
Keralam govt to introduce resolution on ESA issue when State Assembly convenes next, says Environment Minister Sunny Joseph
The Kerala government has requested the Centre to limit the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in its Western Ghats region to 8,590.69 square kilometers, comprising forest areas. This proposal, submitted by Special Secretary of Environment and Climate Change, M.G. Rajamanickam, seeks to exclude populated areas, farmlands, and plantations from the ESA.
K. Kasturirangan Committee's 2013 recommendation of 13,108 sq km, which led to widespread protests, has been surpassed by the current request. The Kerala government, led by Congress-led UDF government, will push for a resolution in the State Legislative Assembly when it convenes next. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan may also lead a delegation to New Delhi to press the State's case, as the multiple notifications issued from 2014 to July 2026 were drafts.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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