Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Kerala Seeks Forest-Only Western Ghats ESA Notification
Kerala wants the national government to change a plan protecting parts of the Western Ghats.
The plan is called an Ecologically Sensitive Area, or ESA.
Kerala says only forests should be included in the protected area.
It wants homes, farms, and plantations left out because people live and work there.
The current proposal covers 131 villages and about 9,993.7 square kilometres.
Kerala wants the plan reduced to 98 villages and about 8,590.69 square kilometres.
The state says most of the proposed area is already forest, but some is non-forest land.
Kerala has sent its suggestions to the Centre and may take further political steps if needed.
Kerala has asked the Centre to exclude inhabited areas, farmland, and plantations from the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area.
Environment Minister Sunny Joseph said the final ESA notification should cover only forest land.
The Centre’s current proposal covers 9,993.7 square kilometres across 131 Kerala villages, while the state seeks 8,590.69 square kilometres across 98 villages.
Kerala said 9,107 square kilometres of the proposed area is forest and 886.7 square kilometres is non-forest land.
The state submitted its latest report before the deadline and may pursue an Assembly resolution or discussions with Union ministers.
- Who
- The Kerala government, Environment Minister Sunny Joseph, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, and the Centre are involved.
- What
- Kerala is seeking a final Western Ghats ESA notification limited to forest land, excluding inhabited areas, farmland, and plantations.
- When
- Kerala submitted its report on Thursday, one day before the deadline for comments on the seventh draft notification issued on July 27; the minister discussed it on Friday.
- Where
- The dispute concerns the Western Ghats in Kerala, including proposed ESA areas across 131 villages.
- Why
- Kerala says its limited land area, high population density, existing laws, agricultural activity, and settled communities make a forest-only notification necessary.
Kerala’s Position
Centre’s Position
Land included in the ESA
Kerala’s Position
Kerala wants the final ESA to be confined to forest land, with inhabited areas, farmland, and plantations completely excluded.
Centre’s Position
The Centre has maintained that no part of the Western Ghats can be excluded except for the Palakkad Gap.
Treatment of villages and settlements
Kerala’s Position
Kerala says inhabited regions and longstanding settlements should remain outside the ESA and that no village should be entirely designated.
Centre’s Position
The Centre’s stated position allows the Palakkad Gap as the exception but does not accept broader exclusions of inhabited areas.
Size of the notification
Kerala’s Position
Kerala seeks coverage of about 8,590.69 square kilometres across 98 villages.
Centre’s Position
The existing central proposal covers 9,993.7 square kilometres across 131 villages.
- Current proposal
- 9,993.7 square kilometres across 131 Kerala villages
- Kerala’s requested coverage
- 8,590.69 square kilometres across 98 villages
- Forest and non-forest split
- 9,107 square kilometres of forest and 886.7 square kilometres of non-forest area in the current proposal
- Requested exclusions
- Inhabited areas, agricultural land, plantations, and certain Cardamom Hill Reserve regions
- Report submission
- Kerala submitted its report to the Centre before the deadline for comments on the seventh draft notification
- Possible next steps
- An Assembly resolution and a delegation to New Delhi to meet Union ministers
