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. 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. This had sparked widespread protests. Following a study by the Oommen V.
the total area did not charge Although the number of villages had subsequently increased to 131 due to bifurcation. 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). In 2013, the K. Kasturirangan Committee recommended fixing the ESA 13,108 sq km covering 123 villages in their entirety in the State. 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.
Keralam’s case was “unique” given its small size but dense population and large forest cover (29.15% of total area), he said.
