Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Karnataka Opposition Seeks Kerala-Style Western Ghats Ground Survey
R. Ashoka wants Karnataka to study villages in the Western Ghats one by one.
He says Kerala used this approach to identify homes and plantations.
That survey reportedly helped reduce the area marked as ecologically sensitive.
Ashoka says Karnataka should do something similar to protect residents and plantations.
He warned that the current report could make building roads and repairing bridges difficult.
He also said electricity connections could be affected in some villages.
B. Y. Vijayendra asked lawmakers to spend more time discussing the issue.
He said nature should be protected while people living near forests should also be protected.
R. Ashoka urged Karnataka to conduct village-level surveys modeled on Kerala’s approach to the Kasturirangan report.
He said surveys could identify plantations and homes and help reduce the designated ecologically sensitive area.
The Kasturirangan report covers 1,576 Karnataka villages across 20,668 square kilometres, according to Ashoka.
Ashoka warned implementation could restrict road construction, bridge repairs and electricity connections in affected villages.
B. Y. Vijayendra sought a week-long Assembly discussion and called for balancing environmental protection with residents’ interests.
- Who
- Karnataka Assembly Opposition Leader R. Ashoka and Bharatiya Janata Party state president B. Y. Vijayendra raised the issue.
- What
- They called for a ground-level survey and more Assembly discussion on the Kasturirangan report concerning the Western Ghats.
- When
- The demands were made on Monday during a Karnataka Legislative Assembly discussion.
- Where
- The discussion took place in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and concerns villages in Karnataka’s Western Ghats region.
- Why
- The leaders said the report could affect homes, plantations, roads, bridge repairs and electricity connections in ecologically sensitive areas.
- Survey model proposed
- A village-by-village ground survey modeled on Kerala’s approach.
- Karnataka villages affected
- 1,576 villages are listed under the ecologically sensitive area designation, according to R. Ashoka.
- Karnataka area affected
- The listed villages cover 20,668 square kilometres, according to Ashoka.
- Western Ghats extent
- The Western Ghats covers 164,280 square kilometres across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Requested legal action
- Ashoka urged the state to appoint environmental law experts to argue in the Supreme Court.
- Assembly discussion
- B. Y. Vijayendra requested that the session be extended to one week instead of three days.