Karnataka Rejects Kasturirangan Report on Western Ghats

Gist The Karnataka Assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the implementation of the Kasturirangan Report , which proposes classifying vast stretches of the Western Ghats as Eco-Sensitive Areas ESAs . The State cited methodological flaws, notably the use of outdated satellite data and a rigid threshold that could designate entire agricultural villages as sensitive zones, thereby threatening local livelihoods. Because the Union government now allows a State-by-State notification of ESAs, Karnataka faces mounting pressure to either accept the framework or produce a scientifically valid alternative, especially as neighbouring States move closer to finalizing their own demarcations. Background The Kasturirangan Report was commissioned to assess the Western Ghats' ecological fragility, adopting a relatively development-friendly approach compared to the earlier Gadgil Report , by permitting human occupation and certain economic activities while restricting highly damaging ones like mining. The core regulatory mechanism involves classifying specific regions as Eco-Sensitive Areas ESAs , which subjects them to stringent environmental regulations and land-use restrictions. In 2013-14 , the Centre directed Western Ghats States to conduct 'ground-truthing'—a physical verification of the satellite data used in the…