Western Ghats ESA: Keralam submits recommendations to Centre, seeks limiting area to 8,590 sq km

Keralam has urged the Centre to limit the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in its Western Ghats region to forest areas covering 8,590.69 sq km.

M.G. Rajamanickam, Special Secretary, Environment and Climate Change, formally placed the State’s recommendations and suggestions before the Centre on Thursday (September 24, 2026) on behalf of the Keralam government, Minister for Electricity and Environment Sunny Joseph said in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday (September 25).

The deadline for submitting the recommendations ends on Friday.

Mr. Joseph said the Congress-led UDF government also intends to get a resolution seeking the restriction of ESA to forest areas passed in the State Legislative Assembly when it convenes next. “Our stand is that populated areas, farmlands and plantations should be excluded in their entirety and the ESA limited to forest regions,” Mr. Joseph said.

The State government has sought resetting the ESA from 9,993.7 sq km to 8,590.69 sq km and the number of villages from 131 and 98. The excluded villages include 23 in Idukki district, four in Kottayam, two in Thiruvananthapuram and one each in Wayanad and Palakkad.

Final notification sought

If needed, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will lead a delegation to New Delhi to press the State’s case in this regard, said the Minister, adding that Keralam is seeking a final notification from the Centre as the multiple notifications issued from 2014 to July 2026 have all been drafts.  

Mr. Joseph described the State government’s recommendations as capable of resolving the ESA-related issues. The government had submitted its recommendations after examining the suggestions and objections raised by stakeholders, including farmer organisations, elected representatives, individuals and local bodies, he said.

‘Unique’ case

Keralam’s case was “unique” given its small size but dense population and large forest cover (29.15% of total area), he said. The State has urged the Centre to limit the ESA to forests as the addition of another law or condition to existing stringent laws protecting the forest and environment and  paddy lands and wetlands could adversely affect the State’s development, agriculture and the everyday life of the people, the Minister added.

In 2013, the K. Kasturirangan Committee recommended fixing the ESA 13,108 sq km covering 123 villages in their entirety in the State. This had sparked widespread protests. Following a study by the Oommen V. Oommen committee, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had issued a draft notification which reduced the area to 9,993.7 sq km. Of this, 9,107 sq km was deemed forest area and 886.7 sq km, non-forest area. Although the number of villages had subsequently increased to 131 due to bifurcation, the total area did not charge.

Although Keralam subsequently sought limiting the area to 8,590.69 sq km by excluding populated areas, farm lands and plantations, the seventh draft published by the Ministry on July 27, 2026, did not accept this change.