Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Karnataka Assembly Rejects Kasturirangan Report Over Western Ghats ESA
Karnataka lawmakers do not accept the current plan for protecting parts of the Western Ghats.
The plan is based on a report led by K Kasturirangan.
A draft notification would place about 20,668 square kilometres and 1,449 villages in Karnataka under environmental rules.
The state says the proposed area includes farms, plantations, homes and public facilities, not just forests.
Lawmakers say the boundaries were drawn from satellite images instead of detailed checks on the ground.
They worry the rules could affect house construction, family property division and inheritance.
Karnataka wants experts to measure the land using official survey numbers.
It has asked for one year to complete this work before the Government of India makes a final decision.
The Karnataka Assembly unanimously rejected the Kasturirangan report in its present form and sought revisions.
A July 27, 2026 draft notification proposed protecting 20,668 square kilometres across 1,449 villages in 10 Karnataka districts.
The proposed ecologically sensitive area includes forests, agricultural land, plantations, houses and public infrastructure.
The Assembly objected that boundaries were based on satellite data without a joint physical survey or precise survey numbers.
Karnataka requested a one-year survey period, livelihood assistance for affected people and further talks before a final decision.
- Who
- The Karnataka Assembly, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Government of India and the working group led by K Kasturirangan are involved.
- What
- The Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the Kasturirangan report in its present form and seeking changes to the proposed Environmentally Sensitive Area notification.
- When
- The resolution was passed on Tuesday, September 22, 2026; the seventh draft notification was issued on July 27, 2026.
- Where
- The proposal concerns the Western Ghats in Karnataka, covering 1,449 villages across 10 districts.
- Why
- Karnataka objected to the inclusion of agricultural land, plantations, settlements and public infrastructure, and to boundaries prepared without a joint physical survey.
Karnataka Assembly’s objections
Draft ESA framework
What should be protected
Karnataka Assembly’s objections
Karnataka wants the ESA to cover specified and other forest areas while excluding agricultural and horticultural land, plantations, human settlements and public-activity areas, except those already approved or sanctioned.
Draft ESA framework
The draft notification identifies 20,668 square kilometres across 1,449 Karnataka villages as an ESA, including forest areas, farmland, plantations and houses.
How boundaries should be determined
Karnataka Assembly’s objections
The state wants an expert committee to physically measure and separately identify forests, settlements, sensitive areas and agricultural activity using survey numbers.
Draft ESA framework
The proposed boundaries were prepared using satellite data, according to the Assembly resolution, and do not contain precise survey-number boundaries.
Impact on local communities
Karnataka Assembly’s objections
Karnataka says the proposal could create problems involving house construction, family-property division, inheritance and livelihoods, and wants economic assistance and alternative-livelihood support.
Draft ESA framework
The draft notification provides the framework for applying ESA restrictions, while the Assembly said the Kasturirangan report did not propose special economic or livelihood support for affected people.
- Proposed Karnataka ESA area
- Approximately 20,668 square kilometres
- Villages covered
- 1,449 villages across 10 districts and 33 taluks
- Draft notification
- The seventh draft Environmentally Sensitive Area notification was issued on July 27, 2026.
- Broader proposal
- The draft proposes an Environmentally Sensitive Area covering 56,000 square kilometres across six states.
- Boundary method
- The Assembly said the proposed boundaries were prepared using satellite data without a joint physical survey or precise survey numbers.
- State request
- Karnataka requested one year to physically measure and verify survey numbers.
- Support requested
- The state sought guidelines for alternative livelihoods and economic assistance for affected farmers and workers.
