Special grama sabhas to be held in 52 panchayats in Idukki to discuss ESA

Following the release of the seventh draft notification on the Western Ghats’ Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), which reportedly overlooks scientific recommendations submitted by the State government, the Grama Panchayat Presidents’ Association has decided to convene emergency ‘special grama sabhas’ across 52 panchayats in Idukki on Sunday. The main aim of the special grama sabhas is to ensure that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) exclude farmlands and human habitations from the ESA.

M. M. Varghese, district president of the Grama Panchayat Presidents’ Association and Kumily grama panchayat president, said the special meetings will be held across all 52 local bodies in the district at 2 p.m. on Sunday.