ESA notification emerges as key political issue in Keralam’s Pathanamthitta
The LDF in Kerala is mobilizing settler farmers in Pathanamthitta to protest against the Centre's revised draft notification on Ecologically Sensitive Areas. Farmers fear that the new regulations will restrict agricultural activities, construction, and infrastructure development in their villages.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between environmental conservation policies and the livelihoods of rural agrarian communities in India.
As concerns over the Centre’s revised draft notification on Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) mount in the high ranges, the issue is steadily acquiring political weight in Pathanamthitta, with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seeking to turn the concerns of settler farmers into a major political issue in the district.
The latest draft notification has brought seven villages in the district, Chittar, Seethathode, Aruvappulam and Thannithode in Konni taluk, and Vadasserikkara, Perunad and Kollamula in Ranni taluk, under the ESA framework. All seven villages have been categorised as red zones, while limited restrictions will also apply in the orange and yellow zones.
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