Kasturirangan Report: Both Houses of Karnataka Legislature adopt resolution urging Centre to confine ESA to notified forests

The Western Ghats is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity. The Kasturirangan Committee Report (formally the High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats), constituted in 2012, recommended designating approximately 37% of the Western Ghats (covering 60,000 sq km) as an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA). Within this ESA, the report recommended a ban on highly polluting activities like mining, quarrying, sand mining, thermal power plants, and red-category industries. Karnataka's opposition highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing conservation imperatives with livelihood concerns. UPSC often questions the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee Report versus the earlier, more stringent Gadgil Committee Report (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel), which had recommended classifying the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area with varying degrees of protection.

The conflict over the ESA notification illustrates the complexities of environmental federalism in India. The Central government issues ESA notifications under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. However, the implementation and socioeconomic impact occur at the state and local levels. Karnataka's resolution demands that the Centre delay finalizing the draft notification until a physical survey is conducted by a state-appointed high-level committee. This emphasizes the need for bottom-up governance and ground-truthing (verifying satellite data with physical surveys). The state argues that relying solely on remote sensing data leads to inaccurate demarcations, causing unrest among local communities. The resolution also highlights the role of the National Green Tribunal, which has been pushing the states and the Centre to finalize the ESA notification, creating pressure on state governments to protect their residents' interests.

The core of the dispute lies in the socioeconomic impact of designating lands as ESAs. The draft notification, according to the state, classifies entire villages as ESAs even if only 20% of their area is forested. This restricts land use changes, potentially affecting agriculture, horticulture, and infrastructure development, thereby impacting the livelihoods of millions residing in the Western Ghats region. The state's demand to exclude lands granted under the Bagair Hukum scheme (regularization of unauthorized cultivation by landless farmers) underscores the tension between environmental regulations and the rights of marginalized farmers. The resolution's call for financial assistance for affected farmers aligns with the principle of just transition, ensuring that environmental policies do not disproportionately burden vulnerable populations.