More time for Western Ghats panel as eco-sensitive area deadlock continues

New DelhiUpdated: Jul 27, 2026 01:55 PM IST The Western Ghats are home to diverse ecosystems and threatened species. (File Photo)An expert committee constituted in 2022 by the Union environment ministry to examine issues raised by states regarding the demarcation of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in the fragile Western Ghats region was given a year’s extension late last month, The Indian Express has learnt. The extension was given as the committee’s and the Centre’s work on breaking the deadlock on finalising ESAs as demarcated in a July 2024 draft notification, which has lapsed, continues.The July 31, 2024, draft notification, published on August 2—which was a sixth iteration of the Western Ghats ESA demarcation—had declared 56,825.7 sq km of the Ghats as ESA, across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Under the 2024 draft, ESAs demarcated across states included 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. It is yet unclear if the ministry plans to renotify a seventh draft notification immediately. The Western Ghats is a 1,500 km long near-continuous mountain chain running from South Gujarat to Kerala, and is one of the world’s eight “hottest biodiversity hotspots”, harbouring unique plants and wildlife. The forests in the Western Ghats are home to nearly 2,000 species of plants, 84 fish species, 87 amphibian species, 89 reptile species, several bird species, and 12 mammals found only in this region. The expert committee is headed by Sanjay Kumar, a former director-general of forests at the ministry, and includes six other members from the fields of ecology, remote sensing, space application, geology, and ministry officials. It is learnt that the committee’s tenure was extended on June 30 till July 2027.Story continues below this ad Even as the committee’s term has been extended, talks to finalise ESAs in Maharashtra, Goa, and Gujarat remain in advanced stages, two people aware of the developments said. The Indian Express reported last month that such talks had advanced the most in the three states. Official sources said that this remains on track, and the committee is now appraising a revised proposal sent by Maharashtra in late June. The expert committee also held a fresh round of consultation with the new Congress-led Kerala government recently, and several sticking points on finalising the area between 8,500 and 8,800 sq km are nearing resolution, people aware of developments said. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change did not respond to queries seeking official comment on when the expert committee is likely to submit its final report on the ESA proposals of all state governments, and whether its terms of reference have been amended. K Kasturirangan reviewed Madhav Gadgil’s recommendationsStory continues below this ad The Western Ghats ESA draft notification was first issued in March 2014, based on the recommendations of the High-Level Working Group chaired by former Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chief K Kasturirangan. The Kasturirangan panel had reviewed recommendations on Western Ghats protection made by the panel led by ecologist Madhav Gadgil. The previous five iterations of the draft notification demarcating ESAs were issued in March 2014, September 2015, February 2017, October 2018, and July 2022. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024