High ranges of Kottayam mobilise against Centre’s proposed ESA tag
Hundreds of settler families in Kottayam’s high ranges are rallying to keep four villages out of the Centre’s draft Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) notification, with local bodies and political leaders filing objections. The state government is seeking to shrink the proposed ESA footprint while excluding inhabited agricultural lands.
- ✓Hundreds of settler families in Kottayam’s high ranges are rallying to keep four villages out of the Centre’s draft Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) notification, with local bodies and political leaders filing objections.
- ✓Satheesan is scheduled to meet stakeholders on September 25.
- ✓The draft, issued on July 27, opened a 60‑day window for comments, with only two weeks remaining.
- ✓It targets roughly 70,000 people across the four villages, and the Koottikkal panchayat alone represents about 30,000 residents spread over 14 wards.
Residents of the high‑range villages of Koottikkal, Melukavu, Poonjar Thekkekkara and Teekoy in Kerala’s Kottayam district have launched a coordinated protest against the Centre’s seventh draft notification that places their areas under the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) regime. Local leaders including Koottikkal Panchayat president Ancy Sebastian, Kerala Congress chief whip Apu John Joseph and MP Anto Antony have voiced opposition, while Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan is scheduled to meet stakeholders on September 25.
The draft, issued on July 27, opened a 60‑day window for comments, with only two weeks remaining. It targets roughly 70,000 people across the four villages, and the Koottikkal panchayat alone represents about 30,000 residents spread over 14 wards. The Union proposal initially covered 9,993.7 sq km; Kerala’s state administration has asked to reduce this to 8,590.69 sq km and cut the number of ESA‑designated villages from 131 to 98, aiming to keep cultivated lands out of the ESA map.
Agriculture forms the economic backbone of the region, with rubber, cardamom, coffee, pepper, coconut and banana cultivated extensively. Villagers argue that satellite imagery may have misidentified their plantations as forest cover, and they fear ESA restrictions could hamper farming and essential development projects. The local panchayat has convened special grama sabhas, passed a resolution demanding exclusion, and plans to forward it to state and central authorities, warning that protests could turn street‑level if their demands are ignored.
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| Issuing Authority | The Hindu National |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | STATES |
| Jurisdiction | KL State |
| Publication Date | 13 September 2026 |