Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Jose K Mani Questions Kerala Report On Seventh ESA Notification
Jose K Mani is worried about how much land Kerala has proposed for environmental protection.
An earlier report included 8,483 square kilometres in 123 villages.
The latest report includes fewer villages, 98, but covers about 8,590 square kilometres.
Mani says the newer area is 107 square kilometres larger.
He says this could affect farms outside forests.
The proposal is part of the seventh draft Ecologically Sensitive Area notification.
Environment Minister Sunny Joseph says the state has already reduced the proposal.
He also says Kerala asked for non-forest land to be removed from the protected area.
Jose K Mani questioned Kerala’s report on the seventh draft Ecologically Sensitive Area notification.
An earlier technical report proposed 8,483 sq km across 123 villages for the ESA.
The latest report covers 98 villages but proposes 8,590.69 sq km, 107 sq km more.
Mani warned the additional area could affect agricultural land outside forest areas.
Environment Minister Sunny Joseph said Kerala had reduced the proposal and sought exclusion of non-forest areas.
- Who
- Jose K Mani questioned the report; Environment Minister Sunny Joseph defended the state’s position.
- What
- The dispute concerns Kerala’s suggestions and objections to the seventh draft Ecologically Sensitive Area notification.
- When
- The seventh draft was issued on July 27, and Kerala submitted its report on September 24; Mani spoke on September 28.
- Where
- Kerala, with the issue discussed in Kottayam.
- Why
- Mani said the proposed area could extend onto agricultural land outside forests, while the state sought to reduce affected villages and exclude non-forest areas.
Jose K Mani’s concerns
State government’s position
Size of the proposed area
Jose K Mani’s concerns
Mani questioned why the latest report covers 8,590.69 sq km despite reducing the number of villages from 123 to 98, saying it is 107 sq km more than the earlier technical report.
State government’s position
Sunny Joseph said the state had reduced the number of villages to 98 and limited the proposed extent to 8,590.69 sq km.
Impact on agricultural land
Jose K Mani’s concerns
Mani warned that the additional area could extend the ESA into agricultural land outside forests.
State government’s position
Joseph said excluding the 886.7 sq km of non-forest area from the existing proposal would fully address the state’s concerns.
- Draft notification
- Seventh draft Ecologically Sensitive Area notification issued on July 27.
- State submission
- Kerala submitted its suggestions and objections to the Centre on September 24.
- Earlier proposal
- 8,483 sq km across 123 villages.
- Latest proposal
- 8,590.69 sq km across 98 villages.
- Difference cited by Mani
- The latest area is 107 sq km larger than the earlier technical report.
- Existing proposal
- 9,993.7 sq km, including 9,107 sq km of forest and 886.7 sq km of non-forest area.
- State request
- Kerala sought exclusion of the 886.7 sq km of non-forest area.