The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Union ministry of environment forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) to finalise a timeline to declare Western Ghats an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). 

On July 29, 2024, the western bench of the tribunal directed the Green Ministry to take action after a Nashik resident reported that construction in the Brahmagiri hills was damaging the environment. The tribunal's decision seeks to address and reduce the environmental impact of these construction activities.

It is noteworthy that the union government has issued five drafts in the past. The order from the NGT also comes at time when the government issued a fresh draft notification. The fresh draft proposes to designate over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala's landslide-hit Wayanad, as an ESA. 

The sixth draft, published on July 31, 2024, opens a 60-day window for public feedback before finalising the notification.

The environment ministry has issued six draft notifications, including the one issued on July 31, since March 10, 2014, but the final notification is pending amid objections from states.

The environment ministry said the proposal would be "taken into consideration" for publishing final notification of ESA on or after the expiry of a period of sixty days from the date on which copies of the gazette are made available to the public.

The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, stretches over approximately 1,500 kilometres from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu, covering an area across six states.

The MoEFCC's draft notification, invoking Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, outlines several key measures to protect this ecologically sensitive region.

Notably, the draft prohibits mining activities, thermal power projects, and new 'Red' category industries in the designated ESA areas.

It also mandates specific conditions for hydropower projects and emphasises sustainable development practices.