Western Ghats ESA: Kerala Assembly urges Centre to exclude 98 villages in revised plan
A unanimous resolution asks the Union government to finalise eco-sensitive boundaries while safeguarding rural livelihoods, infrastructure projects, and disaster rehabilitation.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Union government to accept the state's revised Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) proposal for the Western Ghats, formally asking that 98 revenue villages and the Cardamom Hill Reserve be kept outside strict regulatory zoning.
The revised proposal covers an area of 8,590.69 square kilometres. By asking the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to anchor the final ESA notification strictly to scientifically marked boundaries, the Assembly sought to protect local agriculture, human settlements, and regional development projects across the highland belt.
Minister for Electricity, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs Sunny Joseph moved the resolution, emphasising that long-term ecological conservation must align with the economic security of local communities. The resolution specifically requests that the Centre demarcate boundaries so that agricultural lands, plantations, and existing residential pockets remain exempt from blanket prohibitions.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan stated that the current administration maintains continuity on the issue, building upon work carried out across successive state tenures. Following an intervention by Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, the House incorporated an amendment acknowledging previous administrative initiatives over the past decade to reassess the zone. An amendment suggested by BJP MLA V. Muraleedharan was also accepted, formally noting that the Union government has deliberately paused the final ESA notification in order to address public concerns and ensure field realities are respected.
Key exemptions sought under the revised plan
Beyond revenue villages, the resolution urges the Centre to exclude the Cardamom Hill Reserve in its entirety. The assembly cited decades of traditional cardamom cultivation, extensive settlements, and existing administrative rules that already regulate land use in the reserve.
Lawmakers also requested case-by-case reviews and exemptions for specific public welfare activities and industrial operations normally constrained under Red Category environmental classifications:
| Sector or facility | Scope of requested exemption | Purpose stated by Assembly |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and dairy | Milk processing, slaughterhouses, and meat processing units | Sustaining local rural farm income |
| Public health | New healthcare centres and hospital diesel backup over 5 MVA | Maintaining medical infrastructure |
| Water and sanitation | Common effluent and sewage treatment plants | Preventing local environmental contamination |
| Clean energy | Pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants | Expanding renewable power capacity |
| Disaster recovery | Townships larger than 50 hectares | Rehabilitating families hit by natural calamities |
The resolution clarified that any exempted facilities, including large rehabilitation townships and pumped-storage projects, would still have to comply with national environmental protection laws and secure statutory clearances before construction.
What happens next
The resolution will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The Centre, which has conducted multiple rounds of consultations with Western Ghats states to prevent disruption to farming communities, will review Kerala's boundary data and recommended carve-outs before drafting the final notification.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Area proposed for exclusion | 8,590.69 sq km | Kerala Legislative Assembly resolution |
| Number of revenue villages | 98 | Kerala Legislative Assembly resolution |
| Minimum area threshold for disaster townships | 50 hectares | Kerala Legislative Assembly resolution |
| Hospital diesel generator capacity threshold | More than 5 MVA | Kerala Legislative Assembly resolution |
Questions readers are asking
What is the Kerala Assembly's revised proposal on the Western Ghats ESA?
The Assembly has urged the Union government to exclude 8,590.69 square kilometres across 98 revenue villages, as well as the Cardamom Hill Reserve, from the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area to protect local settlements and farming.
Why does Kerala want the Cardamom Hill Reserve excluded?
The state pointed to the reserve's established history of cardamom plantations, existing infrastructure, human settlements, and pre-existing legal framework governing land use in the tract.
What specific infrastructure exemptions are being requested?
The resolution asks the Centre to permit milk processing facilities, effluent treatment plants, hospital diesel generators above 5 MVA, pumped-storage hydropower projects, and disaster rehabilitation townships exceeding 50 hectares, subject to statutory environmental clearances.
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Kerala Legislative Assembly | Passed the unanimous resolution regarding the Western Ghats ESA |
| Cardamom Hill Reserve | Tract of land Kerala seeks to exclude from ESA regulations |
| Western Ghats | Ecological mountain range under proposed environmental notification |
| Sunny Joseph | Minister for Electricity, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs who moved the resolution |
| Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change | Union ministry responsible for drafting and notifying the final ESA boundaries |
