Fear revisits residents of Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity, has once again found itself at the centre of a complex policy impasse. On July 27, 2026, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued the seventh draft notification proposing to declare large swathes of this 1,600-km-long mountain range as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs). This move, grounded in the recommendations of the High-Level Working Group headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan (2013), attempts to strike a balance between ecological preservation and developmental aspirations across six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. However, the fact that this is the *seventh* attempt since 2014 — with previous drafts issued in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022 all lapsing — tells a deeper story of federal friction, contested science, and the political economy of conservation. The genesis lies in two landmark reports. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), chaired by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, submitted its report in 2011, recommending that 64% of the Western Ghats be declared an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) with a three-tier zoning system and a bottom-up governance model involving Gram Sabhas. It advocated a precautionary approach, restricting mining, polluting industries, and large dams. However, state governments, particularly Kerala and Karnataka, vehemently opposed it, arguing it would cripple livelihoods, agriculture, and infrastructure. In response, the Centre constituted the Kasturirangan Committee in 2012, which diluted the ambit to 37% (approximately 60,000 sq km), focusing only on "natural landscape" areas with high biological richness, while excluding "cultural landscapes" with human settlements and plantations. This "compromise" has since become the basis for all subsequent draft notifications. The legal backbone for ESZs is Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which empowers the Central Government to take measures to protect and improve environmental quality. ESZ notifications typically prohibit or restrict activities like mining, quarrying, thermal power plants, large-scale commercial construction, and red-category industries. Yet, the repeated failure to finalise the notification underscores a structural challenge: while the Centre holds legislative power under Entry 13 of the Union List (environment) and Entry 20 of the Concurrent List (forests, wildlife), land and water are State subjects. This creates a classic Centre-State tension — the Union proposes, but States must implement, and often resist. The stakes are enormous. The Western Ghats regulate the monsoon, feed major peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery), and support 300 million people downstream. Ecologically, it harbours over 7,400 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, and 508 bird species, many endemic. Economically, it sustains coffee, tea, spices, and tourism. Socially, it is home to numerous indigenous communities and dense rural populations. The Kasturirangan framework attempts to exempt inhabited areas and plantations, but local communities — especially in Kerala's Idukki and Wayanad — fear that even a 37% ESZ will restrict land use, hinder infrastructure (roads, hospitals), and devalue property. Political parties across the spectrum have exploited this anxiety, making consensus elusive. For aspirants, this case is a textbook illustration of environmental federalism, the science-policy interface, and the implementation gap in Indian governance. It connects to broader themes: the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 (which critics argue weakens forest protection), the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, and India's international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), particularly Target 3 (30x30). The 60-day objection window (open till late September 2026) will likely see massive submissions from states, NGOs, and citizens. Whether the Centre notifies the final ESZ — possibly with state-specific modifications — or the draft lapses for the seventh time, will signal the political will for ecological federalism. As climate change intensifies landslides and floods in the Ghats (as seen in Kerala 2018, 2019, 2024), the cost of inaction rises. The Western Ghats saga is not just about zoning — it is about whether India can govern its commons democratically, scientifically, and justly.