Karnataka Assembly Rejects Kasturirangan Recommendations, Renewing Debate Over Western Ghats Conservation and Development

Recent Developments: Karnataka Assembly Rejects Kasturirangan Report

• The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on 22 September 2026 unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Kasturirangan Committee recommendations concerning the Western Ghats, citing concerns over their impact on local communities, agriculture and development.
• The issue was discussed during a special Assembly session as Karnataka continues to oppose implementation of the proposed Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (WG-ESA) framework.
• Karnataka has argued that the proposed ESA boundaries could bring substantial agricultural land, inhabited areas and privately occupied land under environmental restrictions, creating uncertainty for farmers and residents.
• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has continued the process of finalising the Western Ghats ESA through successive draft notifications; the 31 July 2024 draft notification proposed an ESA of 56,825.7 sq. km across six States.
• The dispute reflects a broader policy challenge involving ecological conservation, livelihood security, federal coordination and sustainable development.

Kasturirangan Committee: Background and Recommendations

Formation and Mandate:

• The High-Level Working Group (HLWG) chaired by Dr. K. Kasturirangan was constituted in 2012 to examine the recommendations of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, headed by Madhav Gadgil.
• The committee adopted a comparatively development-sensitive approach, seeking to identify ecologically important landscapes while allowing greater flexibility for economic activities outside the proposed ESA.
• It recommended designating about 37% of the Western Ghats, covering approximately 59,940 sq. km, as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• The proposed ESA approach focused primarily on regulating environmentally damaging activities while permitting sustainable livelihoods and development activities compatible with ecological conditions.

Major Recommendations:

• The committee proposed restrictions on environmentally intensive activities such as mining, quarrying, highly polluting industries and certain large infrastructure projects within identified sensitive areas.
• It supported strengthening the existing environmental-clearance framework rather than creating an entirely separate regulatory architecture for the entire Western Ghats.
• It recommended establishing a state-of-the-art monitoring mechanism for improved environmental surveillance, compliance and enforcement.
• The approach attempted to balance environmental protection with economic development, particularly in areas where communities depend on agriculture and other livelihood activities.

Madhav Gadgil Committee: A More Restrictive Conservation Approach

Ecologically Sensitive Zones:

• The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, chaired by Professor Madhav Gadgil, adopted a broader conservation approach and recommended treating the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.
• It proposed dividing approximately 64% of the Western Ghats into three categories, namely ESZ 1, ESZ 2 and ESZ 3, according to ecological sensitivity.
• ESZ 1 was proposed as the most strictly regulated category, with severe restrictions on activities such as mining, large construction projects, thermal power projects and certain dams.
• The report also recommended reviewing or decommissioning environmentally damaging projects that had completed their operational life.

Western Ghats Ecology Authority:

• The Gadgil Committee recommended establishing a Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• The proposed authority was intended to provide a professional institutional mechanism for ecological regulation, conservation and sustainable development across the Western Ghats.
• The recommendation reflected the committee's emphasis on region-wide ecological governance rather than fragmented State-level regulation.

Commercial Cropping and Ecological Concerns:

• The committee expressed concern over the expansion of single commercial crops, including tea, coffee, cardamom, rubber, banana and pineapple, because intensive monoculture could contribute to forest fragmentation, soil erosion, degradation of river ecosystems and environmental contamination.
• It therefore favoured stronger ecological safeguards in areas where commercial agricultural expansion could adversely affect natural ecosystems.

Community Participation and Forest Rights:

• The Gadgil Committee emphasised participatory environmental governance and recommended greater involvement of local communities in conservation decisions.
• It called for effective implementation of Community Forest Resource provisions under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• This approach linked environmental conservation with community rights, decentralised governance and livelihood security.

Western Ghats: Geography and Ecological Significance

Geographical Features:

• The Western Ghats are a mountain chain extending for approximately 1,600 km along India's western side, broadly parallel to the Arabian Sea coast.
• The range extends from the Tapi region in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and passes through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• The range is interrupted by the Palghat Gap, an important geographical break that influences ecological and climatic patterns.
• Karnataka contains a substantial share of the Western Ghats and therefore remains central to the debate over the proposed ESA framework.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services:

• The Western Ghats are recognised as one of the world's major biodiversity hotspots because of their exceptionally high levels of species diversity and endemism.
• The region contains at least 325 globally threatened species, including plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
• Montane forests of the Western Ghats influence Indian monsoon patterns and help regulate the tropical climate of peninsular India.
• The mountains also perform important ecosystem services, including water regulation, soil conservation, carbon storage, biodiversity conservation and maintenance of river systems.

UNESCO World Heritage Status:

• The Western Ghats were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012 under Criteria (ix) and (x).
• Criterion (ix) recognises ecological and evolutionary processes, while Criterion (x) recognises exceptional biodiversity and threatened species.
• UNESCO identifies the Western Ghats as a region of exceptional biological diversity, endemism and ecological significance.

Karnataka's Concerns Over ESA Implementation

Livelihood and Land-Use Concerns:

• Karnataka has raised concerns that ESA restrictions could affect farmers, plantations, settlements and infrastructure development in the Western Ghats region.
• The State has particularly objected to the inclusion of inhabited villages and privately occupied agricultural areas within the proposed regulatory framework.
• The State government has argued that environmental regulation should distinguish between natural forests and long-established human settlements and agricultural landscapes.

Federal and Governance Issues:

• The Western Ghats ESA issue demonstrates the challenge of implementing national environmental objectives through cooperation with State governments.
• Environmental regulation requires coordination among the Union Government, State Governments, local communities, scientific institutions and regulatory agencies.
• The controversy also highlights the need for scientific mapping, stakeholder consultation, carrying-capacity assessment and location-specific regulation.

Gadgil vs Kasturirangan: Key Differences

Approach to Conservation:

• Gadgil Committee: Favoured a broader and more decentralised conservation framework, with the entire Western Ghats treated as ecologically sensitive and divided into three sensitivity zones.
• Kasturirangan Committee: Favoured a more targeted ESA framework, covering approximately 37% of the Western Ghats while seeking greater compatibility between conservation and development.

Governance Model:

• Gadgil Committee: Proposed a dedicated Western Ghats Ecology Authority and stronger participation of local communities.
• Kasturirangan Committee: Preferred strengthening the existing environmental-clearance and monitoring framework.

Development Perspective:

• Gadgil Committee: Recommended stronger restrictions on environmentally intensive activities in highly sensitive areas.
• Kasturirangan Committee: Sought to permit greater economic flexibility outside identified ecologically sensitive areas while regulating damaging activities within the ESA.

Way Forward: Sustainable Development and Ecological Governance

Balancing Conservation and Livelihoods:

• Future ESA implementation should combine scientific ecological assessment with socio-economic mapping so that conservation boundaries accurately reflect ecological vulnerability and settlement patterns.
• Carrying-capacity studies should guide decisions on tourism, infrastructure, mining and urbanisation in ecologically fragile landscapes.
• Local communities should participate meaningfully in conservation planning because their livelihoods, land rights and traditional ecological knowledge are directly connected with the landscape.
• Environmental regulation should adopt a graded, location-specific approach rather than applying identical restrictions across ecologically and socio-economically different areas.

Value Addition for UPSC:

• GS-I: Western Ghats, Peninsular India, biodiversity hotspots, monsoon influence, Palghat Gap and physical geography.
• GS-II: Centre-State relations, cooperative federalism, decentralised governance, community participation and environmental governance.
• GS-III: Biodiversity conservation, environmental impact assessment, sustainable development, ecological security, climate resilience and carrying capacity.
• GS-IV: Environmental ethics, intergenerational equity, public interest, stakeholder participation and responsible governance.
• Prelims Fact: The Western Ghats were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012 under Criteria (ix) and (x).
• Prelims Fact: The Gadgil Committee proposed approximately 64% of the Western Ghats under three ecological sensitivity categories, whereas the Kasturirangan Committee proposed approximately 37% as ESA.
• Conceptual Link: The Western Ghats debate illustrates the tension between conservation versus development, but UPSC answers should frame the issue as a search for ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive development rather than treating the two objectives as mutually exclusive.