New Delhi: The Union environment ministry on July 27 issued a draft notification proposing to include 56,825 square kilometres of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive areas in the mountain range. The notification will remain open to objections and suggestions from the public for 60 days before the Union government issues a final notification.This is the seventh time the ministry has issued the draft notification, according to news reports. States have refused to come to a consensus as they have raised concerns about these areas being listed as ecologically sensitive. This is because categorising these areas as eco-sensitive areas (ESAs) would impose several restrictions such as a ban on situating ‘Red’ category industries in these areas and a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining.Karnataka has the highest area under ESAThe previous (sixth) draft notification issued on July 31, 2024, expired on Monday (July 27), which prompted the ministry to reissue the draft notification, reported Hindustan Times.Similar to the previous notification, the latest notification proposes a total ESA of 56,825.7 sq km, spread across the six states: 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu, 1,461 sq km in Goa and 449 sq km in Gujarat. Per the notification, the actual area will be finalised based on the recommendation of each state, the views of stakeholders and the ESA Expert Committee.The notification specifies the boundary descriptions of the ESA by listing the geo-coordinates of prominent points on the outer boundary of the proposed ESA across all states, and also the villages that come under the ESA once it becomes applicable.Why have states refused to agree to the ESA?The notification, once finalised, will demarcate villages and areas that come under the ESA. Several projects and activities are regulated and some are entirely restricted in the ESA.There will be a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in the ESA. All existing mines will be phased out within five years from the date of issue of the final ESA notification or on the expiry of the existing mining lease, whichever is earlier.No new thermal power plants will be permitted in the ESA, and the expansion of existing ones will also not be permitted in these areas.No new red category industries (as specified by the Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board) will be permitted in the ESA, and the expansion of existing red category industries will also not be allowed. However, all existing red category industries, including health care establishments, can continue operating in the ESA under the applicable rules and regulations.While there will be no restrictions on the repair or renovation of existing residential houses in ESAs, all new building and construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 square metres, and construction of townships and area development projects of more than 50 hectares or 1,50,000 square metres will be prohibited. New hydropower projects in these areas will also be strictly regulated.Gadgil vs Kasturirangan reportsThe proposal to declare parts of the Western Ghats as ESA first arose in 2011, when the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) headed by renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil submitted its report to the Union government. Following field visits and interactions with local communities, the report recommended that the entire area of the mountain range – 1,29,000 sq km – be treated as eco-sensitive, and categorised the Western Ghats across six states into Ecologically Sensitive Zones of different gradations: 1 (areas of highest sensitivity), 2 (areas of high sensitivity) and 3 (areas of medium sensitivity). The report made a lot of recommendations, including no mining or quarrying in areas listed under ESZ 1. All states rejected the report; many called it “impractical.”Following this impasse, the Union government then constituted another committee, headed by former ISRO chief Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan. This high-level working group submitted its report in 2013, which recommended that around 37% of the Western Ghats (around 59,940 sq km) be demarcated as ESA.But despite this huge decrease in ESA by the high-level working group, states have still not relented. They continue to raise objections regarding designating these areas as ESA, despite the Union government conducting meetings to clarify numerous facts, including that people would not be displaced from their homes due to the notification.