Kasturirangan report: Karnataka opposes implementation, CM to meet affected farmers

Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will visit Shivamogga district, which has 484 "eco-sensitive" villages, on September 19 and collect opinions from farmers and the public.

2 min readBengaluruSep 15, 2026 05:52 PM IST

Karnataka Minister Madhu Bangarappa, who hails from Shivamogga, said the implementation of the report would affect an area of 20,668 square kilometres spread across 1,576 villages on the Western Ghats, of which 484 were in his home district. (Representational image)

Ahead of a key meeting regarding the implementation of the Kasturirangan Report, Karnataka Minister Madhu Bangarappa Tuesday said the state government will not allow implementation of the report, citing concerns over its impact on farmers and Malnad residents. He added that Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will visit Shivamogga district, which has 484 “eco-sensitive” villages, on September 19 and collect opinions from farmers and the public.

“The Karnataka Congress government is in favour of farmers, and it will not allow the implementation of the report. The stand of the Congress government over the issue is very clear,” he said.

Bangarappa, who hails from Shivamogga, said the implementation of the report would affect an area of 20,668 square kilometres spread across 1,576 villages on the Western Ghats, of which 484 were in his home district. The report has identified these villages as Eco-Sensitive Areas despite them having human habitation, he said.

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Bangarappa said he has held discussions about the issue with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Also read | Western Ghats: What is the ESA plan for conservation, why it is necessary and the concerns

The state government has convened a special session from September 21 to 23 where the drought situation of the state and implementation of the Kasturirangan Report will be discussed.

The move by the Centre to notify the villages as ESA is a cause of anxiety among the residents, he said, noting that the seventh draft notification has increased the number of villages.

Bangarappa alleged that the Central Government was using the report to harass farmers. “Environment should be conserved. The lives of farmers in Malnad region should also be protected,” the minister said.

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Also Read | To protect Western Ghats, southern states must break impasse

In July, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reissued the draft notification regarding ESA across the Western Ghats for the seventh time.

The draft has recommended a complete ban on mining, quarrying and red-category industries in the ESA, while clarifying that agriculture, plantation activities and daily livelihood of local communities will not be affected.

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