Bengaluru: In a significant reversal, the Karnataka Government, which had previously indicated a review of the Kasturirangan Report, officially rejected the Committee’s recommendations. The report focuses on safeguarding Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats from environmental degradation.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil confirmed the decision. He noted that Legislators, cutting across party lines, were unified in their opposition to the report. The Centre had initially issued a draft notification in 2014, based on the Kasturirangan Report, identifying ESAs and suggesting protective measures. However, MLAs and MPs from Western Ghats districts — Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagalur, Kodagu, and Uttara Kannada — strongly opposed its implementation, arguing it would negatively impact village residents in the region.
