High ranges of Kottayam mobilise against Centre’s proposed ESA tag

Environment & Ecology · 14 September 2026 · Based on The Hindu (original report)

2-minute summary

The Union Government's seventh draft notification proposing Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) status for parts of the Western Ghats has triggered intense protests in the high ranges of Kottayam, Kerala. Around 70,000 residents across four key villages (Koottikkal, Melukavu, Poonjar Thekkekkara, and Teekoy) fear that the ESA tag will restrict agricultural activities—such as rubber, cardamom, and coffee plantations—and halt local development. Local panchayats have passed resolutions demanding exclusion, arguing that these areas contain no actual forest land and that satellite surveys have misclassified cash-crop plantations as natural forest cover. In response, the Kerala state government is lobbying the Centre to reduce its proposed ESA coverage from 9,993.7 sq km to 8,590.69 sq km, thereby excluding inhabited areas, agricultural lands, and plantations from the final notification.

Why it's in the news

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued its seventh draft notification on Western Ghats ESAs, prompting local communities and gram sabhas in Kottayam, Kerala, to mobilize mass protests and pass resolutions demanding the exclusion of human-inhabited agricultural lands.

Facts to remember

• The Union Government issued its seventh draft notification proposing Ecologically Sensitive Area status for parts of the Western Ghats.
• The High-Level Working Group for the Western Ghats was formed under K. Kasturirangan in 2012.
• Article 51A(g) outlines the Fundamental Duty to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
• UNESCO inscribed the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List in 2012.

Background and context

The Western Ghats is a global biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To protect this fragile ecosystem, the Union Government constituted the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) under Madhav Gadgil in 2011, which recommended declaring the entire region as an ESA with strict regulations. Due to strong resistance from states over developmental halts, a High-Level Working Group under K. Kasturirangan was formed in 2012. The Kasturirangan report (2013) recommended designating only 37% of the area (around 60,000 sq km) as ESA, separating 'natural landscapes' from 'cultural landscapes' (human settlements and plantations). Despite this compromise, successive draft notifications have faced severe local protests, particularly in Kerala, where high population density and reliance on plantation agriculture make land-use restrictions highly contentious.

Constitutional provisions

• Article 48A — Directive Principle of State Policy directing the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife.
• Article 51A(g) — Fundamental Duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
• Article 243G (read with Eleventh Schedule) — Empowers Panchayats to manage local matters including land improvement, soil conservation, social forestry, and minor forest produce.

Committees and reports

• Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) / Madhav Gadgil Committee — Recommended designating the entire Western Ghats as an ESA and proposed a bottom-up approach to environmental governance starting from Gram Sabhas.
• High-Level Working Group (HLWG) / K. Kasturirangan Committee — Recommended a pro-growth, pro-nature balance by designating 37% of the Western Ghats as ESA, banning highly polluting activities while allowing agriculture and plantations.

Government schemes

• National Biodiversity Action Plan — Framework to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) objectives, aligning local conservation efforts with national targets.

International organisations

• UNESCO — Inscribed the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List in 2012, recognizing it as one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — Monitors global biodiversity hotspots and provides technical support for conserving fragile ecosystems like the Western Ghats.

Mains practice: The persistent delay in finalizing the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification for the Western Ghats reflects a deep-seated conflict between ecological conservation and developmental aspirations. Analyze the key issues and suggest a way forward.

The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and global biodiversity hotspot, plays a critical role in regulating India's monsoon and hydrology. However, the region faces severe ecological degradation, leading to frequent disasters like landslides and floods. Efforts to declare Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) have stalled due to intense local and political resistance.

Key Issues in the ESA Conflict:

• Livelihood vs. Conservation: High-density population zones, particularly in states like Kerala, rely heavily on plantation agriculture (rubber, coffee, spices). Locals fear that ESA regulations will restrict farming, construction, and infrastructure development.

• Top-Down Mapping Errors: Remote-sensing and satellite-based mapping often misclassify cash-crop plantations (such as rubber or dense orchards) as natural forest cover, leading to the erroneous inclusion of human-inhabited, non-forest areas in ESA drafts.

• Federal Friction: State governments often oppose central draft notifications to protect regional economic interests, demanding reductions in proposed ESA boundaries.

• Disaster Vulnerability: Delaying ESA implementation leaves fragile terrains exposed to unscientific mining, quarrying, and deforestation, exacerbating climate-induced disasters.

Way Forward:

• Ground-Truthing: Satellite data must be rigorously verified through physical, on-the-ground surveys to exclude human settlements and active agricultural lands from ESA boundaries.

• Participatory Governance: Gram Sabhas must be actively consulted, as recommended by the Gadgil Committee, to build local trust and co-design conservation strategies.

• Incentivizing Conservation: Farmers should be supported through green subsidies, payment for ecosystem services (PES), and promotion of organic farming to offset potential economic losses.

In conclusion, sustainable conservation of the Western Ghats cannot succeed without the active consent and partnership of local communities. A balanced approach that integrates scientific zoning with democratic decision-making is essential.

Prelims practice questions

Q1. With reference to Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in India, consider the following statements: 1. They are declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 2. The basic aim of declaring ESAs is to regulate certain activities around Protected Areas to minimize negative impacts on the ecosystem. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B. Statement 1 is incorrect because ESAs are declared under Section 3(2)(v) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, not the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Statement 2 is correct as the primary objective of ESAs is to act as a 'shock absorber' or transition zone around protected areas by regulating developmental activities.

Q2. The Western Ghats traverse through how many Indian States?

1. Six States
2. Five States
3. Four States
4. Seven States

Answer: A. The Western Ghats stretch across six Indian states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Q3. Which of the following committees recommended that the entire Western Ghats region be designated as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)?

1. T.S.R. Subramanian Committee
2. Sarkaria Commission
3. Madhav Gadgil Committee
4. K. Kasturirangan Committee

Answer: C. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), headed by Madhav Gadgil in 2011, recommended that the entire Western Ghats landscape be designated as an ESA. The Kasturirangan Committee (2013) later scaled this down to 37% of the total area.

Revision flashcards

• Under which Act are Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) declared in India? The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (specifically under Section 3).
• What percentage of the Western Ghats did the Kasturirangan Committee recommend designating as an ESA? Approximately 37% (about 60,000 square kilometers) of the total area.
• How many states do the Western Ghats run through? Six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• What is 'ground-truthing' in environmental mapping? The process of verifying satellite-derived land cover data through direct on-site physical observation to correct mapping errors.
• What is the key difference between the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports regarding Western Ghats classification? Gadgil classified the entire Ghats into three levels of ESZs, whereas Kasturirangan divided the region into Cultural Landscapes (human-dominated, excluded from ESA) and Natural Landscapes (protected as ESA).