Western Ghats Ecological Sensitive Area Draft Notification Issued

The Centre has issued a fifth draft to designate over 56,800 sq km of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). This includes areas in Wayanad, Kerala, recently impacted by landslides. The draft proposes a ban on mining, thermal power projects, and large-scale construction in the ESA.

The Centre has published a fifth draft notification to designate more than 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), covering six states, and inviting public suggestions and objections within 60 days. Issued on July 31, the notification comes a day after landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, claimed over 300 lives. The draft proposes to classify 9,993.7 square kilometres in Kerala, including 13 villages in the landslide-hit Wayanad district, as ecologically sensitive.

The proposed ESA also covers 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, and 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu. The draft suggests a complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining, with existing operations to be phased out within five years of the final notification or upon lease expiry, whichever comes first. Additionally, it prohibits the establishment of new thermal power projects and restricts the expansion of existing ones. Large-scale construction and township projects are also to be banned, except for the repair and renovation of existing buildings.

The 2010-formed Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, led by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, recommended in 2011 designating the entire hill range as an ESA, dividing it into three zones based on ecological sensitivity. However, these recommendations faced opposition from various stakeholders. In 2013, a High-Level Working Group under K Kasturirangan identified 37% of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive. The latest draft notification is the fifth in a series aimed at protecting this biodiversity-rich area.