The Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday unanimously rejected the Centre’s latest proposal to declare 20,668 sq km of the Western Ghats an Ecologically Sensitive Area, asking the Union government to keep the notification on hold for a year while the state carries out physical surveys and addresses land and livelihood concerns.
“The Western Ghats are a major natural asset of Karnataka and are vital to biodiversity and ecological balance. The resolution, moved by chief minister D K Shivakumar during a three day special session on the Kasturirangan report, opposed the seventh draft ESA notification issued by the Centre on July 27, 2026, in its present form. The proposed area covers 1,449 villages in 10 districts of Karnataka.
Shivakumar said the state had attempted to understand concerns of residents before taking its position, including through visits to Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts. At the same time, the concerns of the people living in the region need to be addressed before the ESA notification is finalised,” he said. The resolution said the proposed boundaries had been prepared using satellite data without a joint physical survey and without precise demarcation based on survey numbers. “The inclusion of agricultural land, plantations, residential houses and public amenities along with forest areas would create problems relating to house construction, division of family properties and inheritance rights,” Shivakumar said. The resolution said the draft also failed to adequately address pending issues involving Bagar Hukum claims, forest rights, deemed forests, land grants, appeals and cases before courts.
“The government should be the voice of the people. We must give value to what people say and to their feelings. The state asked that Centre refrain from taking a final decision until Karnataka completes its exercise and submits its report.
Shivakumar said the government deliberately chose to bring the matter before the legislature rather than settle it only through an administrative decision. That is why we organised a special session and invited a discussion,” he said. “After the state government submits its report, the Government of India should hold a detailed discussion with the state government on the issue and only thereafter take a final decision,” the resolution said.
