The draft notification issued on July 27, 2026, proposes to include 56,825.7 sq. km as ESA across the Western Ghats, including 9,993.7 sq. km in Kerala.
| Photo Credit: AFP
A section of upland farmers in Kozhikode district has voiced concerns over the seventh draft notification issued by the Centre, proposing to designate ecologically sensitive areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats based on the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee.The draft notification issued on July 27, 2026, proposes to include 56,825.7 sq. km as ESA across the Western Ghats, including 9,993.7 sq. km in Kerala. According to various farmers’ organisations, 131 villages in the State are still within the proposed ESA limits.According to the protesters, a major concern is the inclusion of several inhabited areas and agricultural land within the proposed boundaries. Nearly 1,500 sq. km of the area proposed as ESA in the State will comprise settlements and cultivated land, potentially affecting the livelihoods of thousands of families, they complain.“In Kozhikode district, 10 villages in Koyilandy, Thamarassery and Vadakara taluks reportedly fall within the proposed ESA area. We have no peace of mind,” laments a 56-year-old settler farmer from Nellippoyil in Kozhikode. He points out that the affected villages include Chakkittappara, Chembanoda, Kattippara, Koodaranhi, Kodanchery, Nellipoyil, Puthuppady, Thiruvambady, Kavilumpara, and Thinoor.The issue has also been taken up with the Church authorities by many rural farmers’ groups to explore the possibility of mounting more organised protests. Efforts are also on to seek the support of the Thamarassery Diocese again to coordinate the agitations, particularly in the affected hilly areas.According to leaders of We Farm settler farmers organisation and Indian Farmers Movement, hundreds of farmers have been on the warpath for years, alleging discrepancies in the identification and classification of ESA areas. They fear that the designation could impose restrictions on land use and development, affecting the value and future use of their properties.There have also been reports of some landholders attempting to sell their properties at low prices to escape from the possible consequences of the ESA designation. Sources say quarry operators are suspected of taking advantage of the situation by attempting to purchase such parcels of land and expand their operations.Some land holders also question the omission of several recommendations reportedly made during discussions with the high-powered committee constituted by the Centre at the request of the State government. The Kerala Independent Farmers Association has demanded that the minutes of the discussions held with the committee be made public.They have also sought the publication of the ESA boundary proposals submitted by the State government to the Centre and an opportunity for local residents to verify the proposed boundaries. The authorities should re-examine and ensure that inhabited areas and agricultural land are excluded from the ESA limits, and there should be greater clarity on the exact extent of the proposed restrictions before the notification is finalised, they say. Published - August 13, 2026 08:15 am IST
