Will conduct physical verification of areas covered by Kasturirangan report: CM Shivakumar
The Karnataka government announced it will conduct a village and survey-number-level physical verification of areas covered by the Kasturirangan report before engaging further with the Union government
The verification responds to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's seventh draft notification (issued July 27, 2026) proposing an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) covering roughly 20,668 sq km across 1,449 villages in 33 taluks of 10 Karnataka districts (Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Shivamogga, and Udupi)
The state cited limitations of satellite-based mapping in distinguishing agricultural land, plantations, and human habitation from forest cover, necessitating ground-truthing through government survey teams
A high-level committee, scientific studies, and legal examination were proposed, along with an all-party delegation to the Union government on the matter
The Kasturirangan Report (2013) and Western Ghats ESA Framework
The Kasturirangan Committee, formally the High Level Working Group (HLWG) on Western Ghats, was constituted in 2012 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to review the earlier Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report and balance conservation with local livelihoods. It submitted its report on April 15, 2013, recommending that about 37% of the Western Ghats (roughly 56,800-60,000 sq km across six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala) be declared an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
Key Details
- The Kasturirangan report's 37% recommendation was a scaled-down version of the earlier Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel) report of August 31, 2011, which had proposed 64% of the region as ecologically sensitive, divided into three zones (ESZ 1, 2, 3) with graded restrictions
- The Kasturirangan approach excludes densely inhabited, plantation, and already-degraded areas from the ESA, seeking to be more "pro-farmer" than the Gadgil framework
- It recommends a complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining, no new thermal power projects, and a ban on "red category" polluting industries within the ESA
- Multiple draft notifications on the Western Ghats ESA have been issued and lapsed since 2014, with the July 2026 notification being the seventh such attempt, reflecting sustained Centre-state and local disagreement over the exact boundaries
The verification exercise is Karnataka's response to the latest (seventh) draft notification, driven by concerns that satellite-derived ESA boundaries in the notification misclassify inhabited or agricultural land as ecologically sensitive, triggering restrictions on residents and farmers.
Legal Basis for Eco-Sensitive Area/Zone Notification
Eco-Sensitive Areas and Eco-Sensitive Zones are notified by the Union government under Section 3(2)(v) read with Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which empowers the Central Government to restrict industries, operations, or processes in specified areas. Only the Central Government can issue such a notification; states can only submit objections, suggestions, or ground-verification data during the public consultation period (60 days, as provided in this draft).
Key Details
- The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 was enacted in the aftermath of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984) as an umbrella legislation for environmental protection
- Section 3(3) also empowers the Centre to constitute monitoring committees for ESZ compliance
- ESZs typically function as buffer zones (often up to 10 km) around Protected Areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries) to reduce human-wildlife conflict and preserve ecological connectivity, distinct from the larger landscape-level ESA designation used for the Western Ghats
Because ESA notification power rests solely with the Centre, Karnataka's physical verification and proposed all-party delegation are aimed at generating an evidence-backed objection during the 60-day consultation window rather than at unilaterally altering the notification.
Western Ghats as a Biodiversity Hotspot
The Western Ghats, stretching over 1,600 km along India's western coast through six states, is one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (natural criteria, inscribed 2012, covering 39 serial component sites).
Key Details
- It is older than the Himalayas and influences the Indian monsoon weather pattern
- Home to high levels of endemism in flora, amphibians, and fish species
- The region has witnessed recurrent landslide disasters (e.g., Kerala's Wayanad landslide, 2024), which have periodically renewed calls for expedited ESA notification as a disaster-mitigation measure
The tension in this case reflects the core policy trade-off UPSC tests repeatedly — ecological protection of a global biodiversity hotspot versus livelihood and land-rights concerns of resident farming communities.
- Kasturirangan report submitted: April 15, 2013; recommended ESA: ~37% of Western Ghats (~56,800-60,000 sq km)
- Gadgil Committee (WGEEP) report submitted: August 31, 2011; recommended ESA: 64% of Western Ghats, in three zones (ESZ 1/2/3)
- Latest (seventh) draft ESA notification issued: July 27, 2026; total proposed ESA: ~56,000 sq km across 6 states
- Karnataka's share of the proposed ESA: ~20,668 sq km, 1,449 villages, 33 taluks, 10 districts
- Legal basis: Section 3(2)(v) read with Section 5 and Section 3(3), Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- Public objection/consultation window for the draft notification: 60 days from issuance