No final notification on Environmentally Sensitive Areas of Western Ghats; draft renewed for sixth time

NEW DELHI: The central government has renewed its 2014 draft notification proposing 9,993 sq km of Western Ghats in Kerala, including 13 villages in Wayanad, including landslide-hit Noolpuzha as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA).

131 villages in Kerala are listed in the draft notification. Based on the Kasturi Rangan report, the notification proposes 56,825.7 square kilometers of the Western Ghats in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat as an eco-sensitive area and prohibits activities harmful to the environment. It has also been clarified that the public can submit comments within 60 days from the date of publication of the final notification.

As the states including Kerala are opposing the ESA decision, the draft was renewed for the sixth time without issuing a final notification as it expired on June 30. Kerala's demand to exclude another 1,337.24 sq. km including residential areas, agricultural lands and orchards and then determine environmentally sensitive areas has not been considered. Karnataka is asking for an exclusion of ​​6000 sq. km. The new order dated July 31 is an exact replica of the 2022 notification. According to this, Karnataka has 20,668 sq km, Maharashtra 17,340 sq km, Tamil Nadu 6,914 sq km, Goa 1,461 sq km and Gujarat 449 sq km.

Ban and control

• Complete ban on mining, quarrying, sand mining and other highly polluting industries in ESA.
• All existing mining should be phased out within five years from the date of final notification or on expiry of the lease.
• No new thermal power projects should be established or renovated.
• Construction of projects of 20,000 square meters and above, new townships with area above 50 hectares or 1.5 lakh square meters or more, and expansion of existing ones are also prohibited.

First notification in March 2014

Follow-up notifications in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022. Extension without notice in 2023

Environmentally Sensitive Areas of Wayanad

Mananthavadi: Tirunelli, Thrissilery, Periye, Thondernad

Sultan Bathery: Kidanganad, Noolpuzha (landslide region)

Vythiri: Thariyode, Achooranam, Pozhuthana, Kottappady, Chundale, Kunnathidavaka, Vellarimala.