The latest draft notification on Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats has brought 63 villages from Belagavi district under the proposed protected zone, with one village in Belagavi taluka and 62 in Khanapur taluka.
The seventh draft notification has once again put the Western Ghats belt covering Kankumbi, Chorla, Parwad, Jamboti and surrounding areas in focus. The Karnataka government, however, has decided to oppose the Centre’s proposal, expressing concern that the proposed restrictions could affect development activities in the region.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has included 63 Belagavi villages in the latest draft. These include Dhamne (S) in Belagavi taluka, while the Khanapur taluka list covers villages including Akrali, Ambewadi, Amgaon, Bailur, Chapoli, Chigule, Chikhale, Chinchewadi, Chorla, Daroli, Dongargaon, Gavse, Ghose, Golyali, Govali, Kankumbi, Kapoli, Kavale, Khanapur Rural, Kongale, Nagargali, Nerse, Padalwadi, Parwad, Pashtoli, Satnali, Shiroli, Sivatwadi, Sulegali, Tarwad, Teregali, Uchvade and Varkhad, among others.
What the ESA draft means
The proposed ESA restrictions do not envisage displacement of existing residents. Agriculture and plantation activities can continue, meaning there is no blanket ban on farmers carrying out their regular agricultural operations.
However, new mining, quarrying and sand extraction activities, new thermal power projects and new Red Category industries would face restrictions. Large construction projects would also come under regulatory controls. Projects involving construction or expansion of 20,000 sq. metres or more, along with large township and area development projects, could face restrictions.
Repairs and renovation of existing houses would continue to be permitted.
Implications for Khanapur and Mahadayi region
The proposed ESA includes ecologically important areas stretching from Kankumbi towards Bhandura. The Khanapur Western Ghats belt is significant for its biodiversity as well as its location in the Mahadayi river catchment and the Bhimgad region.
The inclusion of Chorla, Parwad, Kankumbi and surrounding villages has also raised questions over future large-scale development projects in the region, including the Kalasa-Bhandura water diversion project.
However, the ESA notification by itself does not mean that the Kalasa-Bhandura project stands cancelled. The project is subject to separate legal and regulatory scrutiny relating to environmental clearance, forest land, water diversion and the applicable ESA provisions.
Karnataka’s proposed ESA coverage
According to the draft, Karnataka has 1,449 villages across 39 talukas in 10 districts proposed for inclusion in the ESA. The proposed ESA area in Karnataka is 20,668 sq. km, while the total proposed ESA across the Western Ghats is 56,825.7 sq. km.
For Belagavi district, the breakup is:
- Total villages: 63
- Belagavi taluka: 1
- Khanapur taluka: 62
A process dating back to 2013
The ESA proposal has its roots in the report submitted in 2013 by the High-Level Working Group headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan. The panel recommended identifying significant portions of the natural landscape of the Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas.
Since then, the proposal has gone through consultations, objections from the states and the Centre, local-level verification and changes to village boundaries. The seventh draft notification is the latest stage in this long-running process.
The key issue for Belagavi will now be how the proposed environmental safeguards are balanced with the development and livelihood concerns of residents in the Western Ghats region.