Fear revisits residents of Western Ghats

The article details the ongoing protests by farmers and residents in Karnataka's Western Ghats region against the latest draft notification proposing to declare large parts of the area as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). It traces the history of conservation efforts, starting with the 1987 march, leading to the formation of the Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) in 2010 and the subsequent K. Kasturirangan-led High-Level Working Group (HLWG) in 2013. The article highlights the differing recommendations of the two reports, with the Gadgil report advocating a more participatory, graded approach and the Kasturirangan report proposing a 37% ESA area with specific restrictions. It discusses the strong opposition from state governments and local communities due to fears of livelihood disruption and existing hardships under forest regulations, citing examples of villages lacking basic amenities. The 'Kerala model' of conducting a physical survey to reduce the proposed ESA area is presented as a demand from Karnataka residents. While local politicians oppose the notification, some environmentalists support stricter measures, arguing the Kasturirangan report was a diluted version of Gadgil's.