Now Reading: Centre mulls phased ESA rollout for Western Ghats amid state resistance
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Centre mulls phased ESA rollout for Western Ghats amid state resistance
Centre mulls phased ESA rollout for Western Ghats amid state resistance
The Centre is considering a phased, state-wise finalisation of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification for the Western Ghats after five draft notifications failed to reach consensus since 2014. The current expert…
The Story in Brief
The Centre is considering a phased, state-wise finalisation of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification for the Western Ghats after five draft notifications failed to reach consensus since 2014. The current expert panel, headed by former Forest Director General Sanjay Kumar, has had its tenure extended by a year following the expiry of the last notification in July 2026.
Strong local and political opposition has stalled the process. Karnataka, which has 23.4% of its population in the Ghats, consistently opposes the proposal over impacts on agriculture and mining. Residents in 10 World Heritage Sites surveyed fear satellite-based mapping unfairly classifies plantation crops as forest cover and note no physical village visits by committees.
The Indian Opinion
Conservation versus livelihoods is a false binary recycled by both sides. Activists ignore that satellite imagery cannot tell arecanut from forest canopy, while states exaggerate the threat of mass eviction when buffer zones are not new. The real test will be how many ground-level village visits the new expert panel makes before the next draft notification.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
