7th Draft Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area Notification

The Environment Ministry reissues the 7th draft notification on the Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA), reflecting disputes with 6 states over village inclusion and balancing conservation with development.cThe latest draft remains open for public objections for 60 days, and it retains the same area, state-wise extent, and regulatory provisions as the July 2024 draft.

7th Draft Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) Notification:

Dimension	Key Details
Issuing authority	The draft notification is reissued by the Environment Ministry.
Draft status	The notification comprises the 7th draft in a decade.
Public consultation window	The latest draft remains open for public objections for 60 days.
Extent and coverage	The ESA proposed comprises 56,825.7 sq. km across 6 states: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Gujarat.
Largest state share	Karnataka has the largest ESA share as per the current draft.
Activities prohibited	Prohibited activities comprise mining, quarrying, sand mining, new thermal power plants, certain industries, and large construction projects.
Activities regulated	Regulated activities comprise hydel power generation and other development projects.
State concerns	Concerns comprise impact on agriculture and plantations, infrastructure and development curbs, and disputes over village names and areas proposed for inclusion.
Objection examination mechanism	An expert committee (2022) still examines objections regarding village inclusion.
Kerala example cited	In Kerala’s Wayanad district, 13 villages across Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, and Vythiri taluks continue to be listed despite earlier protests.
Continuity with previous draft	The latest draft provides for no substantive changes, and the area, state-wise extent, and regulatory provisions remain the same as the July 2024 draft.
Western Ghats designation	The Western Ghats comprises a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a biodiversity hotspot, and a source of major rivers.
Committees referenced (2011, 2013)	The 2011 Gadgil Committee recommends the entire 1,29,000 sq. km Western Ghats as ESA with graded protection, and the 2013 Kasturirangan Committee suggests 37% of the Western Ghats (59,940 sq. km) as ESA focusing on natural landscapes.
Successive drafts timeline	Successive drafts since 2014 comprise repeated attempts to balance conservation with state concerns.