The Catholic Congress has sought documentary evidence from the Kerala government about the steps being taken to address concerns of residents whose areas have been included in the Centre’s latest draft proposal for declaring parts of the Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs).
The organisation is seeking clarity on how the government will protect people living and farming in the ESA areas proposed, as well as the interests of those in the country’s countryside,” they said. It also said it does not support environmental protection and should not be seen as an anti-environmental stance.
The issue has gained attention in Kerala as the Centre’s 2026 draft notification proposes an ESA covering 9,993.7 square kilometres across 131 villages in the state. Kerala has suggested a smaller area of approximately 8,590.69 square kilometres across 98 villages, with inhabited areas, agricultural land and plantations to be excluded.
Catholic Congress Seeks Proof Of Government Measures
Fr Philip Kaviyil, global director of the Catholic Congress, said the organisation had not seen documentary evidence of the measures announced by the state government to address the concerns of residents.
He said Chief Minister and other elected representatives had spoken about measures to reduce the concerns of people living in areas included in the Centre’s draft ESA proposal. But, Kaviyil said, the organisation wanted to see official documentation on how those assurances would be implemented.
The Catholic Congress also said it was not opposed to environmental conservation.
Kaviyil said biodiversity should be protected, but that policies need to consider people who have lived on and cultivated their land for generations. Kerala’s high population density, in the organisation’s view, makes its implementation of ESA regulations particularly sensitive.
Rajeev Kochuparambil, global president of the Catholic Congress, said the organisation had no political affiliation. He recalled that it had organised protests during the previous LDF government's tenure and said it wanted documentary clarity from the current government as well.
Kerala Wants Smaller ESA Area
The dispute is connected with the latest draft notification for the Western Ghats.
The Centre’s 2026 draft proposes an ESA covering 9,993.7 square kilometres in Kerala. The proposal is part of a wider draft covering parts of the Western Ghats across six states. The total area proposed in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu is 56,825.7 square kilometres.
Kerala has also submitted its own proposal covering 8,590.69 square kilometres in 98 villages. The proposal by Kerala was verified against suggestions by local self-government departments. This number has also been listed in parliamentary documents.
The Catholic Congress has specifically questioned how the boundaries will be mapped at the level of individual properties and land parcels.
The organisation has also requested more clarity from the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre (KSREC) about cadastral mapping and how inhabited areas, agricultural land and plantations will be excluded from the proposed ESA.
Questions over restrictions in ESA.
One of the key concerns raised by the Catholic Congress is the uncertainty of what restrictions residents could face if their villages or land parcels fall within an ESA.
Kaviyil asked what kind of regulations would apply to people living in a village under an ESA. He also wondered why ESA regulations would need to be extended to inhabited areas and why there are some laws already in place for forest and wildlife conservation.
The Catholic Congress has argued that simply stating that inhabited areas and agricultural land will be excluded is insufficient without detailed maps and official documentation showing how the exclusions will work.
KSREC's own ESA mapping information states that the draft MoEF notification provides for cultural landscapes, such as agricultural areas, orchards, horticultural areas, plantations and residential areas, to be exempted from the ESA for cadastral maps. It also makes clear that the maps are not maps of land that is eco-sensitive (for example, forests or government revenue land) but the proposed eco-sensitive areas used for recreation or agriculture.
The availability of detailed cadastral-level information is therefore central to the concerns being raised by the organisation.
Environmental Protection And Livelihood Concerns
Kerala's ESA debate is, in effect, about a trade-off between environmental conservation and the interests of people living in the Western Ghats.
The Western Ghats is a very ecologically important region with high biodiversity, and the ESA framework is to regulate activities that could adversely affect environmentally sensitive areas. The Centre's draft notification proposes restrictions on certain projects and activities in the notified area.
Kerala has in fact repeatedly pointed out its special geographical and demographic circumstances while asking for changes to the proposed boundaries.
Government records have previously mentioned the state’s long history of human habitation in the Western Ghats and the high population pressure in the region. Kerala has also searched for a balance between ecological conservation and the socio-economic realities of people living in the Western Ghats.
Hence, the current debate is not just a matter of whether the Western Ghats should be protected but also in what form boundaries should be drawn and how restrictions placed on settlements, farms and plantations should be implemented.
The Catholic Congress has also warned that if such agitations are not taken care of and information is not made available to the state government, they will carry on to further agitation. For now, the organisation is seeking official documentation of the government’s proposed exclusions to the community, and the protections for affected residents.
The entire extent of Kerala ESA will depend on the ongoing process of the state government and the Centre, where the state's views and objections will be considered before finalising the notification.
