Kerala moves to keep homes, farms out of Western Ghats ESA limits

Kozhikode, Kerala: The Kerala government is preparing to seek the exclusion of residential and agricultural areas from the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) limits under the Centre's latest draft notification for the Western Ghats, Agriculture Minister T Siddique said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference, Siddique said the state was preparing a comprehensive response to the draft notification and would seek the exclusion of around 131 villages and 9,993 square kilometres of land from the proposed ESA framework.

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The 60-day period for submitting objections and suggestions to the draft notification is set to end on September 24. The government will submit its detailed response to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change before the deadline.

Siddique said Kerala would seek the complete exclusion of more than 30 villages from the proposed ESA and would push for residential areas and agricultural land in the remaining villages to be kept outside the ecologically sensitive limits.

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The issue has prompted discussions involving Chief Minister VD Satheesan, ministers handling Environment, Agriculture, Revenue and Forests, and senior government officials, Siddique said.

He added that scientific evidence and the concerns raised by farmers had been presented during a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister with members of the Western Ghats Environmental Expert Committee.

Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar said the government was aware of the concerns of residents and would take steps to safeguard their interests.

He assured that no decision would be taken that would adversely affect people's lives.

Anilkumar also said discussions had been held with the Centre and that its response had been positive.

"The government will not take any stand which will adversely affect the people," he asserted.