Western Ghats Are Travellers’ Monsoon Paradise, But Protecting Them Is Not Easy: 4 Hurdles Explained

Published 29 July 2026 · india

Western Ghats Are Travellers’ Monsoon Paradise, But Protecting Them Is Not Easy: 4 Hurdles Explained Written By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 18:01 IST Western

Western Ghats Are Travellers’ Monsoon Paradise, But Protecting Them Is Not Easy: 4 Hurdles Explained Written By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 18:01 IST Western Ghats & ESA: The fresh draft to declare 56,825.7 square kilometres across six states as an Ecologically Sensitive Area rushed out. The hurdles, explained Rapid Read The mountain chain spans 1,600 km across six states. The Union Environment Ministry officially reissued the seventh draft notification on July 27, 2026, proposing to declare 56,825.7 square kilometres across six states as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). This move directly addresses the core challenges of protecting the mountain range by trying to break a decade-long regulatory deadlock. THE SEVENTH DRAFT NOTIFICATION The fresh draft was rushed out immediately as the sixth iteration officially expired on July 27, 2026, without reaching a consensus among states. Karnataka holds the largest proposed conservation share at 20,668 sq km, followed closely by Maharashtra at 17,340 sq km. The remaining areas cover Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Gujarat. The government has opened a strict 60-day window for state governments, local stakeholders, and citizens to submit final objections and suggestions.

If successfully finalized, the notification will enforce a complete ban on mining, quarrying, sand mining, new thermal power plants, and heavily disruptive large-scale construction within the ESA boundaries. To accommodate the intense socio-political friction, the central expert committee reviewing state-level boundary objections has had its term extended until July 2027 WHY PROTECTING WESTERN GHATS IS A CHALLENGE Protecting the Western Ghats is a monumental challenge because it requires balancing vibrant, irreplaceable ecological conservation with the socio-economic survival of over 50 million residents across six states. THE ROADBLOCKS The primary roadblocks preventing effective preservation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site include 1. Political and state conflict: The mountain chain spans 1,600 km across six states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu). Implementing a unified environmental framework creates severe friction over state-level autonomy. Expert panels like the Gadgil Committee (2011) (which proposed 64% protection) and the Kasturirangan Committee (2012) (which scaled it down to 37%) faced heavy resistance from state governments eager to shield local economic assets. Because states continually dispute proposed borders, environmental protection proposals have remained stalled in draft phases for more than 12 years.