The Karnataka government has rejected the Kasturirangan committee report concerning the protection of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats region. This decision follows months of review and significant opposition from legislators representing districts within the Western Ghats.
Legislators from several districts, including Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkaamagaluru, Kodagu, and Uttara Kannada, strongly opposed the report's implementation. Their primary concern was the potential negative impact on villages situated within the designated Western Ghats area if the recommendations were fully implemented.
The central government, based on the Kasturirangan report, released a draft notification in 2014 to identify ESAs and propose protective measures. Both the current and previous (BJP) state governments voiced their opposition to this report.