ESA row heats up in Keralam; Kerala Congress (M) demands village-wise data, White Paper
Party chairman Jose K. Mani, MP, says the inclusion of agricultural land in 25 villages across nine districts on the latest ESA list was a matter of serious concern
The Kerala government's exclusion of over 30 villages from the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) has sparked a political row. The Kerala Congress (M) has accused the United Democratic Front (UDF) government of discrepancies between the 2014 government committee findings and the data submitted to the Centre in September 2026.
Party leader Jose K. Mani raised concerns about the inclusion of agricultural land in 25 villages across nine districts in the latest ESA list, stating it as a serious issue. He criticized the UDF leadership for not adopting a clear political stance on the matter, which affects 36 Assembly constituencies and 15 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Mani demanded that the state convene a special Assembly session and pass a resolution to clarify that inhabited and agricultural areas outside reserve forests should not be included in the ESA. He also requested the government to publish village-wise details of the forest area identified in 2014 and compare them with the current figures submitted to the Centre.
Additionally, he called for the release of a comprehensive White Paper covering various committee reports, correspondence between the Centre and the state government, and the latest ESA proposal.
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