Karnataka Seeks ESA Draft Review, Centre to Convene Coastal States’ Meet

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has urged the Centre to defer finalising the draft notification declaring parts of the Western Ghats an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) until the state completes a physical survey and its high-level committee submits its findings within a year. He has also sought a meeting of ministers from neighbouring coastal states to discuss forest conservation, coastal regulations, tourism and development-related concerns.

Shivakumar raised these demands during a meeting with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on October 22, alongside pending state proposals. He said the Centre had responded positively and Karnataka would submit the required documents within 15 days. He reiterated his appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to defer the notification until the survey and committee report are completed.

The July 27 draft is the Environment Ministry’s seventh attempt to notify ESA areas across the Western Ghats. It proposes protection for 56,825.7 sq km across six states: Karnataka (20,668 sq km), Maharashtra (17,340 sq km), Kerala (9,993.7 sq km), Tamil Nadu (6,914 sq km), Goa (1,461 sq km) and Gujarat (449 sq km).

The dispute dates back to the Madhav Gadgil panel’s 2011 recommendations for extensive ecological protection and the K Kasturirangan committee’s 2013 report, which proposed a more selective approach. Karnataka’s legislature rejected the latest draft in its present form and sought fresh physical surveys to verify village boundaries and distinguish forests from agricultural land and settlements. The Centre’s expert committee has received an extension until July 2027 to examine state objections.

The draft proposes restrictions on mining, quarrying, new thermal power projects, highly polluting industries and large construction developments. Environmental concerns centre on protecting the region’s biodiversity, forests and watersheds, while states have raised concerns about livelihoods and development.

Shivakumar also sought a reduction in Karnataka’s designated coastal zone area, requesting provisions similar to those available in Kerala and Goa. The Centre is expected to convene a meeting involving ministers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He plans to bring MPs representing North Kanara, South Kanara, Udupi and Shivamogga.

He also sought the exclusion of Eco Cane Sugar Energy Ltd, established in 2016, citing its 500-plus employees and approximately 5,000 dependent families.

Separately, Karnataka sought early wildlife clearances for the 2,000-MW Sharavathy Pumped Storage Project and the Mekedatu drinking water project. The Centre requested additional documentation for Mekedatu, which the state promised within two or three days. Shivakumar also discussed the Mahadayi river dispute and the ITI land issue with Union officials.