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Knowledge Nugget | How do eco-sensitive zones protect India’s fragile ecosystems?

Why are Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) declared around protected areas? Why has the Western Ghats remained central to the decade-long conservation debate? And how do the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committee recommendations shaped ESZ policy? Here's all you need to know.

Eco-Sensitive Zones, western ghats, ESA draft notification, Ecosystems, Environment, biodiversity hotspots, Conservation vs Development, Kasturirangan, Gadgil, Forests, Mountains, fragile ecosystems, sustainabl development

Eco-Sensitive Zones act as a protective buffer around ecologically fragile landscapes, balancing biodiversity conservation with sustainable development. (File Photo)

10 min readNew DelhiAug 1, 2026 01:35 PM IST First published on: Aug 1, 2026 at 12:48 PM IST

Written by Raveena Baneta

Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on Eco-Sensitive Zones.

Knowledge Nugget: Eco-Sensitive Zones

Subject: General issues on Environmental ecology, Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation

Why in the news?

The Centre has issued a seventh iteration of a draft notification declaring 56,825.7 square kilometre of Western Ghats, the biodiversity hotspot spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA). Sixth iteration lapsed due to a continuing deadlock between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the states concerned over demarcation of ESA areas.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Eco-sensitive zones as proposed across these states are spread over 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu, and 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala.

2. While Gujarat and Goa have largely agreed upon an area to be finalised as ESA, Maharashtra’s fresh revised proposal is under appraisal. Karnataka continues to oppose the draft notification, while the Centre is still resolving sticking points and information discrepancies with Kerala and Tamil Nadu, respectively.

3. The Centre has also given a year’s tenure extension in June to an expert committee headed by Sanjay Kumar, ex-Director General of Forest, MoEFCC formed in April 2022. It continues to examine the views of the six stakeholder state governments, keeping in view the conservation aspects of the disaster-prone ecosystem, as well as rights, privileges, needs and developmental aspirations of the region.

4. As in the previous one, the latest draft notification also recommended a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in ESAs as well as phasing out of all existing mines within five years from the date of the final notification or expiry of the lease, whichever is earlier.

5. It also recommends prohibition of new thermal power plants and expansion of existing ones in eco-sensitive zones (ESZ). Further, ‘red’ category or the most polluting industries and their expansion is also proposed to be banned in ESAs. New and expansion projects of building and construction with built-up area of 20,000 sq metres and above, and all new and expansion township projects with area over 50 hectares and above, shall also be prohibited, the draft notification stated.

Committees constituted on Western Ghats conservation

— Efforts to demarcate ecologically sensitive areas within the Western Ghats began in 2010 with the formation of the Madhav Gadgil committee. Gadgil, one of India’s best-known ecologists, submitted his committee’s report in August 2011 and recommended that the entire area of Western Ghats, a total of 129,037 square km of land, be declared as ESA, with varying degrees of restrictions on activities based on relative fragility.

— Following protests by every affected state, the Centre referred the report to a high-level working group led by former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan in August 2012. After a ground-truthing exercise, the Kasturirangan panel suggested that an area of about 60,000 square km be declared as Eco-sensitive zones.

— Its analysis found that 60% of the Ghats region was already under “cultural landscape”, which was human dominated and where land was under settlements, plantations, or agriculture. The remaining 40% — 60,000 sq km — was classified as “natural landscape”, a high biological richness, low fragmentation, low population density, and inclusive of national parks, and tiger and elephant habitats.

— The panel proposed that this 60,000 sq km be notified as eco-sensitive area along with a ban on mining, quarrying, red category polluting industries, thermal power plants, and large constructions and townships. Consequently, the first draft notification declaring ESAs in Western Ghats was issued in March 2014 which declared 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats region across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala as ecologically sensitive areas.

— However, due to a lack of consensus that continued till 2022, the Centre constituted a fresh expert committee with the task of re-examining the objections by the six states, keeping the Ghats’ conservation and needs of the region in mind.

What are eco-sensitive zones?

6. As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, land within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries is to be notified as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones. ESZs are demarcated to regulate activities near these largely no-development parks and sanctuary areas.

7. While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its application can vary. Areas beyond 10-km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors.”

8. On June 3, 2022, a 3-judge bench of the Supreme Court while referring to the 2011 guidelines as “reasonable”, as reported by Live Law, directed all states to have a mandatory 1-km ESZ from the demarcated boundaries of every protected forest land, national park and wildlife sanctuary.

9. However, the order sparked concerns about human habitations falling within the proposed ESZs, prompting the Centre to approach the court seeking modification of some of the directions. The Supreme Court modified its order on April 25th, 2023, saying it would have prevented the government from building roads and other important infrastructure in those areas.

Statutory provisions enabling Union government to declare ESAs

— Section 5 C(1) of the Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 states that it shall be the duty of the National Board for Wildlife to promote the conservation and development of Wildlife and forests by such measures as it thinks fit.

— Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 (EPA) gives power to the central government (i.e. MoEFCC) to take all measures that it feels are necessary for protecting and improving the quality of the environment and to prevent and control environmental pollution.

— Section 5(1) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 (EPR), states that the central government can probibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of considerations like the biological diversity of an area, maximum allowable limits of concentration of pollutants for an area, environmentally compatible land use, and proximity to protected areas.

Why are Eco-Sensitive Zones created?

10. According to the guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry in 2011, ESZs are created as “shock absorbers” for the protected areas, to minimize the negative impact on the “fragile ecosystems” by certain human activities taking place nearby.

11. Furthermore, these areas are meant to act as a transition zone from areas requiring higher protection to those requiring lesser protection. The guidelines also state that the ESZs are not meant to hamper the daily activities of people living in the vicinity, but are meant to guard the protected areas and “refine the environment around them”.

12. Notified as a second-tier of legal protection, ESZs act as a buffer against the negative impacts of infrastructure projects, as wildlife from parks and sanctuaries often moves out for various reasons, and to protect water sources and ecology in the area.

13. While commercial mining, sawmills, polluting industries, and major hydroelectric projects are prohibited in ESZs, certain other activities are either regulated, permitted, or promoted.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Western Ghats— the eco-sensitive zone debate

1. Western Ghats are among the four of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots located in India. The other three biodiversity hotspots are the Himalayas, the Indo-Burma region, and the Sundaland. It stretches along the western coast of the Indian peninsula, spanning six states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

2. Older than the Himalaya mountains, the 1,600 km long Western Ghats mountain chain is one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots for harbouring unique plants and wildlife. They are home to diverse ecosystems, including tropical evergreen forests, grasslands, Myristica swamps, and the distinctive shola forest. These ecosystems harbour a wide variety of flora and fauna, showcasing high endemism.

3. The forests in Ghats are home to nearly 2,000 species of plants, 84 fish species, 87 amphibian species, 89 reptile species, several bird species, and 12 mammals found only in this region. Several threatened species such as lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Tahr, and tiger are found here, making them one of the most critical natural assets of India and the World.

4. Ecologically, the Western Ghats serve as a crucial climatic regulator for peninsular India. Acting as a barrier to the South-West monsoon, the range ensures high supporting lush forests and numerous rivers that sustain millions of people.

5. It is the source of several major rivers such as Krishna, Godavari Cauvery, Mandovi, Periyar and Sharavathi, giving it the tag of the water tower of peninsular India

Eco sensitive zones, western ghats, fragile ecosystems, India, UPSC, UPSC current affairs, environment, conservation,

The Western Ghats, one of India’s richest biodiversity hotspots, underscore the importance of Eco-Sensitive Zones in conserving fragile ecosystems. (File Photo)

Post Read Questions

(1) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2017)

1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five States only.

2. Western Ghats are spread over five States only.

3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

(2) ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are related to (UPSC CSE, 2016)

(a) constitutional reforms

(b) Ganga Action Plan

(d) protection of Western Ghats

(3) From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats? (UPSC CSE, 2017)

(a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

(b) Nallamala Forest

(d) Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve

Answer Key

1. (b), 2. (d), 3. (a)

(Sources: Government re-issues draft notification declaring over 56 K sq km of Western Ghats as eco-sensitive area, More time for Western Ghats panel as eco-sensitive area deadlock continue, Explained: What are Eco-Sensitive Zones and why are there protests in Kerala against them?, Exclusive: 13 years later, protection for Western Ghat areas in 3 states almost ready, Why Western Ghats are classified as natural site of ‘significant concern’)

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