Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA): UPSC Mains Notes

UPSC Mains GS Paper III Environment

Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA): UPSC Mains Notes

Over a decade after the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports, India’s Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area notification remains unfinalised — with the Ministry extending the expert panel’s tenure by another year in July 2026 amid unresolved state-level disagreements.

Quick Navigation

  1. Western Ghats Conservation: Context and Background
  2. Key Aspects of the ESA Notification Process
  3. Challenges in Western Ghats ESA Implementation
  4. Way Forward for Western Ghats Conservation
UNESCO Status
World Heritage Site (2012)
Spans 6 coastal states, 39 hotspot areas
Draft Notifications
5 Issued (2015–2026)
Without reaching final consensus
Karnataka’s ESA Area
20,668 sq km Identified
Across 10 districts, 23.4% of state population
🏔️

Western Ghats Conservation: Context and Background

  • The Western Ghats span six coastal states and contain 39 biodiversity hotspot areas; UNESCO declared them a World Heritage Site in 2012.
  • Between 2015 and 2026, five draft notifications were issued regarding the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) without reaching consensus.
  • In July 2026, the Ministry extended the expert panel’s tenure by another year, reflecting the continued difficulty of finalising the notification.
📋

Key Aspects of the ESA Notification Process

📗

Gadgil Report

  • The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) was constituted in 2010 under Madhav Gadgil’s chairmanship.
  • Recommended declaring 142 talukas as ESA, divided into three Ecologically Sensitive Zones; once notified under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, this would provide legal protection.
📘

Kasturirangan Report

  • The Kasturirangan Committee (2012) reduced the proposed ESA to just 37% of the Ghats.
  • Limited restrictions to ecologically sensitive natural landscapes only, narrowing the Gadgil panel’s more expansive recommendation.
📍

Current Status

  • Gujarat and Goa have agreed to ESA finalisation after expert panel deliberations; Maharashtra has sought a fresh review, while Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu deliberations remain ongoing.
  • A phased, state-wise finalisation clause was included in the 2024 draft notification, allowing consenting states to move ahead independently.
🗺️

Karnataka’s Position

  • Karnataka has 10 districts in the Western Ghats, with 23.4% of the state’s population residing there; 20,668 sq km has been identified for ESA declaration.
  • Karnataka consistently opposes ESA notification, citing impact on agriculture, plantations, mining and infrastructure.
⚠️

Challenges in Western Ghats ESA Implementation

Satellite Imagery Concern

Communities argue satellite imagery cannot distinguish plantation crops from natural forest cover.

Forest Rights Issue

Non-tribals with long-standing residence face rejection of their forest rights claims.

Livelihood Restrictions

Even villages with recognised forest rights face restrictions on minor forest produce collection.

Buffer Zone Fear

Communities fear possible eviction, believing buffer zones extend 10 km from core areas.

No Physical Surveys

Communities complain that no committee physically visited their villages before classification.

Declining Village Populations

Residents feel village life is threatened, reducing community resilience against relocation.

💬

The absence of indigenous and local communities from the conservation process risks a deeper loss — the biocultural diversity and forest-society linkages that have historically sustained the Western Ghats ecosystem alongside human habitation.

✅

Way Forward for Western Ghats Conservation

Adopt an Empathetic Approach
Karnataka and other states need genuine stakeholder consultation before final ESA notification.
Ground-Truth the Data
Replace exclusive reliance on satellite imagery with physical village-level surveys.
Include Indigenous Communities
ESA design must include indigenous communities who naturally practise sustainable conservation.
Proceed with Phased Rollout
Move ahead state-wise, starting with consenting states like Gujarat and Goa.
Protect Livelihoods
The ESA framework must protect local livelihoods while regulating genuinely harmful activities like quarrying.
Recognise Ecological Boundaries
Ecological systems transcend administrative boundaries — conservation cannot be indefinitely delayed by state-level disagreement.
The core policy tension: balancing genuine ecological protection of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape against the livelihood and consultation concerns of the communities who live within it — neither can be resolved by delay alone.
📰
Source: The Hindu

Scroll to Top