Bengaluru: With just 19 days left for Karnataka to submit its revised recommendations on the demarcation of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) in the Western Ghats in the State, Dakshina Kannada BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has said that if Karnataka fails to respond by August 25 — the deadline fixed by the Centre — the demarcation recommended by the Kasturirangan Committee would be deemed as final.
Kateel said that the delay is likely to have an impact on hundreds of villages that come under the purview of the ESZ in the Western Ghats section in Karnataka. As per the draft notification, based on the report of Kasturirangan Committee, 20,668 sqkm in Karnataka would come under ESZ, which includes 1,576 villages in eight districts of Karnataka including Kodagu district.
