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Keralam Fights to Exclude Residential, Farm Areas from Western Ghats ESA Limits
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News18•20-09-2026, 15:45
Keralam Fights to Exclude Residential, Farm Areas from Western Ghats ESA Limits
- •Keralam is working to exclude residential and agricultural areas from the Centre's draft Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) notification for the Western Ghats.
- •The state aims to remove around 131 villages and 9,993 square kilometers of land from the draft notification.
- •The Keralam government will submit its comprehensive response to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests by September 24, before the 60-day deadline ends.
- •Discussions are underway with Chief Minister V D Satheesan and various state ministers to address the serious situation.
- •State Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar assured that the government will protect the interests of the people and will not take any decision that adversely affects their lives.
Key Questions Answered
Keralam is taking steps to exclude residential areas and agricultural lands, covering approximately 9,993 square kilometres and 131 villages, from the Centre's draft Ecologically Sensitive Area notification.
The 60-day deadline for submitting objections and suggestions to the draft notification issued on July 25, 2026, ends on September 24.
The state government aims to completely exclude more than 30 villages from the list and remove residential and agricultural lands from the remaining villages within the environmentally sensitive area limits.
