Western Ghats: Seventh Draft Eco-Sensitive Area Notification Reignites Old Debate
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a seventh draft notification proposing to declare an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) across large parts of the Western Ghats, on July 27, 2026.
The draft proposes covering approximately 56,825.7 sq. km spanning six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
The public has been given 60 days to file objections and suggestions before a final notification can be issued.
The notification proposes restrictions including bans on commercial mining, stone quarrying, sand mining, new thermal power plants, "red category" polluting industries, and large-scale construction projects within the ESA, while exempting existing agriculture, plantations, and habitations.
This is the seventh such draft since the process began, with earlier drafts having lapsed repeatedly due to disagreement between the Centre and the six Western Ghats states over boundaries and the extent of restrictions.
Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Eco-Sensitive Areas are zones notified around ecologically important or fragile regions where regulated development is permitted to buffer protected areas and critical ecosystems from degradation. They are notified by the Central Government under Section 3(2)(v) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, read with the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, and are distinct from Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, which follow separate Supreme Court and National Board for Wildlife guidelines.
The seventh draft is issued under this very statutory mechanism, and its 60-day objection window is a mandatory procedural requirement before the Centre can move to a final notification.
Gadgil Committee (2011) vs Kasturirangan Committee (2013)
The Western Gadgil Ecology Expert Panel, chaired by Madhav Gadgil (2011), recommended treating the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area, divided into three zones with graded restrictions, a recommendation that state governments found too restrictive to development. The subsequent High-Level Working Group under K. Kasturirangan (2013) scaled this back, recommending that only about 37% of the Western Ghats, mostly natural forest areas excluding habitations, plantations, and already degraded land, be brought under ESA protection, and it is this Kasturirangan report that has formed the basis for all subsequent draft notifications, including the current seventh draft.
The current 56,825.7 sq. km figure in the seventh draft is a direct descendant of the Kasturirangan Committee's boundary-drawing exercise, and continuing disputes over which villages and land parcels to exclude are the central reason the notification has taken over a decade and seven drafts to near finalisation.
Western Ghats as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biodiversity Hotspot
The Western Ghats, a mountain range running along India's western coast, were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 under natural criteria for exceptional biodiversity and endemism. The range is recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and is older than the Himalayas, influencing the Indian monsoon weather pattern.
The ecological significance underlying the UNESCO designation is the same rationale cited for granting statutory ESA protection, while local livelihood concerns over restricted land use explain the recurring "fear" among residents referenced in the current round of consultations.
- Seventh draft ESA notification issued: July 27, 2026; objection window: 60 days.
- Proposed ESA extent: approximately 56,825.7 sq. km across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu (Karnataka's share is about 20,668 sq. km).
- Statutory basis: Section 3(2)(v), Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Gadgil Committee (2011) recommended the entire Western Ghats as ESA; Kasturirangan Committee (2013) recommended about 37% of the total area.
- Western Ghats inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 under natural criteria.