Parliament member Francis George has criticised the Centre for refusing to accept the reports and recommendations submitted by the Kerala government on the demarcation of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).In a statement, Mr.George said the draft notification issued on July 27 had failed to accommodate Kerala’s long-standing demand that human habitations, plantations and agricultural lands be completely excluded from the proposed ESA.According to Mr. George, the latest draft notification retains the same proposal contained in the 2024 draft, under which 9,993.7 sq. km spread across 131 villages in Kerala would be notified as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.He pointed out that the State had sought the exclusion of around 1,300 sq. km from the proposed ESA and recommended reducing the number of affected villages from 131 to 98.He urged the people of Kerala to unite to ensure that human settlements and agricultural lands are excluded from the final notification. He also called on the State government to intervene vigorously with the Centre to secure the necessary changes. Published - July 29, 2026 08:09 pm IST