56825 sq km of Western Ghats declared ecologically sensitive

The Kerala government panel had recommended removal of 3,000 sq km environmentally significant areas from the category of ESAs demarcated by the Kasturirangan committee report.

The high-level working group had recommended the government to declare Kerala's 13,108 sq km as ESA.  

According to the fresh draft notification, “the Eco-Sensitive Area in the state of Kerala is spread over of an area of 9993.7 sq km, which includes 9107 sq km of forest area and 886.7 sq km of non-forest area”.

In its directive, the Ministry had asked the state governments to ban new polluting industries, mining, quarrying, thermal power plants or large construction projects in the 1,600km long Western Ghats run through Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.