Karnataka opposes Western Ghats eco-sensitive plan over livelihood fears

The brief in 7 cards

1. Context1 / 7
   • On 27 July 2026, the Centre issued its seventh draft notification on Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs). It is based on the Kasturirangan report.
   • In Karnataka, it covers about 20,668 sq km in 10 districts.
   • Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said the report could seriously hurt livelihoods and farming communities.
   • He visited coffee-growing and forest-fringe districts before a special legislative session to hear residents' concerns.
   • On 22 September, the Karnataka Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the report in its present form.
2. Key highlights2 / 7

   Satellites, not surveys: Deputy CM G. Parameshwara said the report relied mostly on satellite images, without enough checks on the ground.

   Whole villages included: The Assembly objected to marking an entire village as an ESA just because one-fifth of it falls within forest limits.

   No livelihood support: The resolution says the report offers no economic help or alternative livelihoods to affected people.

   What Karnataka wants excluded: Farmland, horticulture, plantations, settlements and public spaces. Only forest areas should be included, it says.

   A deadline for the Centre: The CM said Karnataka has asked the Centre to state its position by 27 September.

   A long-running dispute: Karnataka has opposed the report under several governments. Earlier Chief Ministers also objected that it relied on satellite surveys.

3. Key concepts3 / 7
   1. The Western Ghats

   • The Western Ghats are a mountain chain running about 1,600 km along India's west coast. They pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
   • They form part of the "Western Ghats and Sri Lanka" biodiversity hotspot. A hotspot is a region very rich in species that is also under serious threat.
   • They have high endemism, meaning many species found nowhere else on Earth.
   • Major rivers such as the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rise here. So the Ghats matter for water across southern India.
   • UNESCO listed parts of the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site in 2012.

   News connection: The ESA plan aims to protect this range, but people living in it fear losing their land and income.

   2. Gadgil versus Kasturirangan

   • Gadgil Committee (2011): Led by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, it treated the entire Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive. It proposed three zones with different levels of protection, with local gram sabhas playing a large role.
   • Kasturirangan Committee (2013): A High-Level Working Group led by K. Kasturirangan. It split the Ghats into "cultural landscape", where people live and farm, and "natural landscape".
   • It proposed about 37% of the Western Ghats, around 56,825 sq km, as ESA. It recommended bans on mining, quarrying, large thermal power plants and highly polluting industries.
   • Distinction: Gadgil covered more area with graded rules. Kasturirangan covered less area with firmer rules.

   News connection: Even the smaller Kasturirangan area includes villages and farms, which is the core of Karnataka's objection.

   3. Ecologically Sensitive Area versus Eco-Sensitive Zone

   • An Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) is a region the Centre notifies for special protection under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
   • An Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) is a buffer around a specific national park or wildlife sanctuary. It works like a shock absorber around a protected area.
   • Distinction: An ESA protects a large landscape. An ESZ protects the edge of one protected area.
   • A draft notification invites objections. Only a final notification has legal force. The Western Ghats ESA has stayed in draft for years.

   News connection: The Western Ghats plan is an ESA, and it is still only at the draft stage.

   4. Forests and federalism

   • The 42nd Amendment (1976) moved "forests" and "protection of wild animals and birds" from the State List to the Concurrent List. Both the Centre and States can now make laws on them.
   • Environmental notifications under the 1986 Act come from the Centre. But States handle land records, revenue and forest administration on the ground.
   • So an ESA plan needs the Centre's legal power and the States' cooperation to work.

   News connection: The Centre issues the ESA notification, but Karnataka's objections show why it cannot be implemented smoothly without the State.

4. Way forward4 / 7

   Survey on the ground: Map each village by survey number, so forests, farms and homes are clearly separated.

   Support those affected: Pair any restrictions with clear livelihood support and compensation for farmers and workers.

   Decide, then stop redrafting: The Centre and States should agree on boundaries and issue a final notification, ending years of uncertainty.

5. Note5 / 7

   What Karnataka's Assembly is asking for

   Include only forests: Limit the ESA to forest areas named in the notification and other forest land.

   Exclude where people live and work: Leave out farmland, horticulture, plantations, settlements and public-use areas.

   Settle land questions first: Consider pending issues such as Bagair Hukum claims (applications to regularise land cultivated without title), deemed forests and court cases.

   Physical survey: Set up an expert committee to measure and mark forest boundaries and settlements on the ground.

   Livelihood guidelines: Frame rules for economic help and alternative livelihoods for affected people.

   Fix the report: Form a high-level committee to correct the report's gaps and suggest changes.

6. Note6 / 7

   Two sides of the debate

   The case for strong protection:

   • The Ghats feed the rivers that supply water to millions in southern India.
   • Unchecked mining, quarrying and construction can raise the risk of landslides and floods on steep slopes.
   • Repeated delays have left the range without a final legal shield for over a decade.

   The case for caution:

   • Families have farmed and grown plantations here for generations.
   • Maps based on satellite images may wrongly include homes and farms.
   • Restrictions without support can hurt incomes and raise resentment against conservation.

   The shared ground: Both sides agree the Ghats need protection. The dispute is about where to draw the lines, and who bears the cost.

7. Note7 / 7

   Timeline

   2011: The Gadgil Committee submits its report.

   2013: The Kasturirangan High-Level Working Group submits its report.

   2014 onwards: The Centre issues draft ESA notifications. Each lapses and is reissued as States raise objections.

   27 July 2026: The seventh draft notification is issued.

   September 2026: Karnataka's CM voices opposition, and the Assembly rejects the report in its present form.

   27 September 2026: The date by which Karnataka has asked the Centre to state its position.

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