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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has extended the tenure of the Sanjay Kumar-led Expert Committee by one year to resolve the Centre–State deadlock over the notification of Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats.

What are Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs)?

Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) are ecologically fragile regions notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to conserve biodiversity by regulating environmentally harmful activities while permitting sustainable livelihoods.

The proposed Western Ghats ESA aims to restrict activities such as commercial mining, quarrying, red-category industries, and large-scale construction in ecologically important landscapes.

Evolution of the Western Ghats ESA Proposal

Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), 2010 (Gadgil Committee)

• Chaired by Madhav Gadgil.
• Recommended declaring the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.
• Classified the region into three Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ-I, ESZ-II and ESZ-III) with varying levels of protection.
• Faced opposition for being overly restrictive on development.

Kasturirangan High-Level Working Group, 2012

• Recommended protecting only the natural landscapes of the Western Ghats.
• Proposed notifying about 37% of the Western Ghats (≈56,800 sq. km) as ESA while allowing sustainable development elsewhere.
• This forms the basis of the present ESA proposal.

Draft Notifications (2014–2026)

• The Centre has issued multiple draft notifications, but disagreements with States have delayed final notification.
• The Sanjay Kumar Expert Committee, constituted in 2022, examines state-specific objections and boundary-related issues.

Major Concerns Raised by States

Several Western Ghats States, particularly Karnataka, have expressed concerns that the ESA notification may:

• Affect agriculture, plantations and local livelihoods.
• Delay infrastructure and development projects.
• Rely excessively on satellite imagery without adequate ground verification.
• Create fears of eviction and restrictions on forest-dependent communities due to misconceptions regarding buffer zones.

Key Challenges

• Balancing biodiversity conservation with livelihood and development needs.
• Inadequate ground-truthing of ESA boundaries.
• Administrative coordination across six states.
• Continued environmental degradation due to delays in notification, including illegal quarrying, mining and unplanned tourism.

Way Forward

• Conduct comprehensive ground-level verification before finalising ESA boundaries.
• Adopt state-wise and phased implementation to address region-specific concerns.
• Involve local and indigenous communities as partners in conservation.
• Improve public awareness to address misconceptions regarding ESA provisions.
• Restrict only ecologically destructive activities while protecting sustainable agriculture, plantations and eco-tourism.

Significance

The ESA framework seeks to protect one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots while ensuring sustainable development. A balanced approach combining scientific assessment, cooperative federalism, and community participation is essential for conserving the Western Ghats without adversely affecting local livelihoods.