Centre reissues draft on Western Ghats eco-zone, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Union Environment Ministry has reissued, for the seventh time, a draft notification proposing an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) across the Western Ghats.
• The previous draft lapsed on July 27, and the new draft, issued on July 27, 2026, is open for public objections for 60 days.
• The notification proposes to prohibit mining, quarrying, sand mining, new thermal power plants, certain industries, and large construction projects within the ESA.
• The proposed ESA covers 56,825.7 sq. km spread across six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

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Detailed Insights:

• The reissuance underscores the Centre’s inability to resolve long-standing differences with the six Western Ghats states over the precise areas to be included.
• States have raised concerns regarding the potential impact of the ESA declaration on agriculture, plantations, infrastructure, and development activities.
• An expert committee, constituted in 2022, is continuing to examine objections from the states regarding village names and areas for inclusion.
• A comparison with the July 2024 draft shows no substantive changes in the notified area, state-wise extent, or regulatory provisions.
• The dispute dates back to 2011, when the Madhav Gadgil Committee recommended treating the entire 1,29,000 sq. km mountain chain as ecologically sensitive.
• Following state objections, the K. Kasturirangan High-Level Working Group recommended designating about 37% (59,940 sq. km) of the Western Ghats as ESA.
• Kerala subsequently conducted its own field verification, reducing its proposed ESA from the Kasturirangan recommendation of 13,108 sq. km to 9,993.7 sq. km.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA): Areas notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to regulate activities near protected areas or ecologically fragile regions.
• Western Ghats: A mountain range running parallel to the western coast of India, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a global biodiversity hotspot.
• Madhav Gadgil Committee Report: A 2011 report recommending the entire Western Ghats be declared an ESA with graded protection levels.
• K. Kasturirangan Committee Report: A 2013 report that reviewed the Gadgil Committee recommendations, proposing 37% of the Western Ghats as ESA.