The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- The Grama Panchayat Presidents’ Association has decided to hold special grama sabhas in 52 panchayats in Idukki on Sunday at 2 p.m.
- The meetings oppose the seventh draft notification on the Western Ghats’ Ecologically Sensitive Area, which reportedly ignores the State government’s scientific recommendations.
- The association wants the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to exclude farmlands and human habitations from the ESA.
- Formal resolutions will be passed in each panchayat and sent to the Union ministry, the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and local MPs and MLAs.
- The demand matters because including settlements and agricultural land in the ESA would disrupt daily life and hit the livelihood of local farming communities.
What to watch next
- Whether the Centre clarifies that the 131 newly listed villages are not entirely ESA and accepts Kerala’s limit of 8,590.69 sq km across 98 villages
- The content of the resolutions passed at the special grama sabhas and responses from the MoEFCC and the State government
Who said what2
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M. M. Varghese
2 quotes · 1 outlet
“Bringing human settlements and agricultural land under the ESA will severely impact the livelihood of local farming communities and the public”
In the article
…Chief Secretary as well as local MPs and MLAs,” Mr. Varghese said. Highlighting the concerns of local residents, Mr. Varghese noted that including populated areas in the ESA framework would disrupt day-to-day life. “ Bringing human settlements and agricultural land under the ESA will severely impact the livelihood of local farming communities and the public ,” he said. He further urged the Union government to eliminate the prevailing ambiguity surrounding designatedvillage boundaries. “The final notification must explicitly clarify that adding 131 villages on the list does…
“The Centre must accept Keralam’s recommendation to limit the ESA strictly to 8,590.69 sq km of actual forest tracts across 98 villages”
In the article
…surrounding designatedvillage boundaries. “The final notification must explicitly clarify that adding 131 villages on the list does not mean their entire geographic area falls under ecologically sensitive zone. The Centre must accept Keralam’s recommendation to limit the ESA strictly to 8,590.69 sq km of actual forest tracts across 98 villages ,” Mr. Varghese added. Published - September 16, 2026 07:21 pm IST…
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Named India · Idukki · Government of Kerala · Grama Panchayat Presidents Association · Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change · M. M. Varghese
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