Centre Notifies Seventh Draft of Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA)

Key facts

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued the seventh draft notification declaring 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats as an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA).
• The proposed ESA covers 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu, and 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala.
• The draft notification recommends a complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining in the ESA, with existing mines to be phased out within five years of final notification or lease expiry.
• New thermal power plants, expansion of existing ones, and ‘red’ category (most polluting) industries are prohibited in the ESA.
• New building and construction projects with a built-up area of 20,000 sq m or more, and new township projects over 50 hectares, are also banned in the ESA.
• The tenure of the expert committee headed by Sanjay Kumar, former Director General of Forest, MoEFCC, has been extended till July 2027 to examine stakeholder views and conservation aspects.