The Kannada translation of the proposed policy was published by the coalition to bridge this information gap. It can be accessed here. Information gap“People are being asked to respond to a notification they cannot read,” said Nirmala Gowda, from Mapping Malnad which is part of the coalition. In Karnataka, the Directorate of Translations is responsible for translating Central and State legislations, Acts, and Rules into Kannada. The coalition members point out that despite having an institutional mechanism for translation in place, the State government has not made the notification available to the public in Kannada even after more than a decade passed since the Kasturirangan report came out. Following the draft notification, there is widespread public sentiment against it, especially in places such as Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada, where people fear that it would result in their displacement and hit their livelihood. “Currently, the narrative is being shaped by vested interests, who are spreading misinformation to mobilise support from local communities,” claimed a coalition member. Notarised translationAs a response, the coalition has translated the draft notification, notarised it, and made it publicly available. “We are not interpreting or explaining anything here. People can go through the translated document and take decisions,” said the member. “As per the draft notification, mining falls under the prohibited red category of activities. There are several politicians associated with mining in the Western Ghats. Big projects like the Sharavati pump storage project, hydel projects and nuclear power projects, and construction projects with built-up area of 20,000 sq. m or more are also prohibited. But none of these will affect local communities in any way. People are being misguided,” one of the members said. , Nature First, Parisara Sangama Vedike, Parisarakkagi Naavu Sanghatane, Paryavarani Foundation, Rashtra Bhaktara Balaga, Saara Kendra, Sangatya, Sneha Kunja Trust, Ulivu Foundation, United Conservation Movement and Yuva Sanchalana. This is not the first time that a lack of adequate information in regional language before finalising critical decisions around environment has been pointed out. In August 2025, the local fishing community in Keni village in Uttara Kannada had demanded a Kannada translation of the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for a proposed commercial port by JSW in the region. While the English version of the draft report was around 600 pages, the Kannada version was only a 48-page executive summary.
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