State’s demand finds no favour with Centre
Panaji: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued the seventh draft notification on ecologically sensitive area (ESA) in the Western Ghats, proposing to bring 1,463 villages spread across six states and covering 56,825.7 square kilometres under enhanced environmental protection.
Goa’s proposal remains unchanged from the previous draft, with 108 villages covering 1,461 sq km identified for inclusion, indicating that the Centre has not accepted at this stage any reduction sought by the state government.
The ESA proposal continues to cover 108 villages spread across five talukas in Goa—63 in Sattari, 26 in Sanguem, 13 in Dharbandora, five in Canacona and one in Ponda. The figures remain identical to those notified in the sixth draft issued in July 2024.
Following the sixth draft, the Goa government constituted a seven-member committee to examine village-wise objections and later recommended that the Centre reduce the ESA coverage by excluding 21 villages after field verification.
However, the latest notification retains the original 108 villages, indicating that the Centre has, for now, chosen to continue with the same proposal while keeping the consultation process open.
The draft notification, published in the Gazette of India on July 27, has invited objections and suggestions from the public within 60 days before a final notification is issued.
Officials said the draft notification is not the final notification and that all objections and suggestions received during the 60-day public consultation period will be examined before the Union government takes a final decision on notifying the Western Ghats’ ecologically sensitive area.
The proposed ESA comprises 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala and 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu, taking the total proposed eco-sensitive area across the Western Ghats to 56,825.7 sq km.
According to the village-wise annexures of the draft notification, the proposal covers 1,463 villages across the six states.
The latest notification retains stringent restrictions aimed at conserving the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats. It proposes a complete ban on new mining, quarrying and sand mining in the notified area, while existing mining leases would have to cease operations upon expiry or within five years of the final notification, whichever is earlier.
New thermal power projects, expansion of existing thermal plants and establishment of new red-category polluting industries have also been prohibited.
Large construction and township projects would be regulated, although repairs and expansion of existing residential buildings will continue to be permitted under applicable laws. The Centre has reiterated that the notification will not result in displacement of local residents, nor affect agriculture, plantations or property ownership, while projects involving diversion of forestland will require compliance with the Forest Rights Act, including gram sabha consent wherever applicable.
The seventh draft is the latest chapter in a process that has stretched for over a decade. The Centre first issued a draft notification in 2014, followed by revised drafts in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024 and now 2026. During this period, several rounds of consultations were held with Western Ghats states, members of Parliament, state environment ministers and stakeholders.
The notification itself records meetings held in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and the constitution of an expert committee in 2022, followed by extensive deliberations with state governments through 2024 before the present draft was prepared.
