Karnataka Legislature Session Begins to Discuss ESA Recommendations and Drought Situation

A three-day special legislature session, convened exclusively to discuss the Dr K Kasturirangan Committee recommendations on the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in the Western Ghats and the severe drought situation in the state, will begin on Monday. The first day is expected to see a debate on the seventh draft notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on July 27, proposing ESA status based on the Kasturirangan report. With all political parties broadly opposing the seventh draft notification, citing its impact on farmers and residents, the legislature is likely to adopt a unanimous resolution against it. The Centre had given the state 60 days to submit its objections, with the deadline set for September 27, prompting the government to convene the legislative session. As per the Union ministry’s draft notification, around 20,668 sqkm covering 1,576 villages in 33 taluks across 10 districts – Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Mysuru, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Udupi and Belagavi – has been proposed as ESA. Ahead of the session, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reached out to stakeholders, including farmers, in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Hassan. During one such interaction at Sakleshpur on Sunday, he said, “The government will decide after considering the views of local people and farmers.” Shivakumar also sought to allay farmers’ concerns by directing forest officials not to evict those cultivating bagair hukum lands.