Latest draft notification to notify Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive expires

The sixth draft notification to notify over 56,000 sq km of the Western Ghats as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA) expired on July 27, 2026.

A seventh draft notification is likely to be issued as talks continue among Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and an expert committee.

The process began in 2010; a panel led by Madhav Gadgil recommended ESA designation in 2011, followed by a panel under K Kasturirangan.

ESA draft notifications lapse after 725 days; proposed restrictions include prohibitions on red category industries, mining, and thermal power plants.

The expert committee, headed by former director general of forests Sanjay Kumar, has had its tenure extended until July 2027.