Kerala has published a revised cadastral map of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs), reducing the proposed coverage from 9,993.7 sq km to 8,590.69 sq km following recommendations submitted to the Union Environment Ministry. The revised map largely excludes 33 of the 123 villages identified earlier.
The map is available on the state Environment Department’s website, https://envt.kerala.gov.in, and is based on documents submitted to the Centre on September 24, following the Union Environment Ministry’s seventh draft notification.
Gold 101.3 FM, the UAE’s No. 1 Radio Station, brings you the latest updates from Kerala, where the revised environmental boundaries could have significant implications for residents, farmers and pilgrimage routes.
In Idukki district, 23 of the 51 previously identified villages have been excluded, along with cardamom cultivation areas in the Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR), although some areas within the reserve remain included. The environmentally sensitive Munnar Gap Road also falls within the proposed ESA, while revised boundaries in retained villages have been drawn to avoid human settlements.
In Ernakulam district, residential areas of Kuttampuzha, the only village previously included, have been excluded from the proposed restrictions. Of its 519.28 sq km total area, 476.19 sq km falls within the published ESA boundaries, but houses and tribal settlements are excluded.
In Pathanamthitta, seven villages remain on the list, with reduced coverage in each. The Sabarimala temple complex, Pampa, Nilakkal parking ground and Neelimala route have been excluded. However, the Swami Ayyappan Road and the Pampa–Perunad stretch remain within the ESA, potentially complicating future road development. Sabarimala may also continue to face certain restrictions because it lies within a buffer zone.
In Palakkad, most areas recommended for exclusion have been removed, although concerns persist over residential and agricultural land in Palakkayam and Puthuppariyaram. In Thiruvananthapuram, five of the seven previously identified villages have been excluded, while questions remain over the boundaries of areas still covered.
The revised map marks a significant reduction in Kerala’s proposed ecologically sensitive coverage, but concerns remain over land boundaries, agricultural activities, residential areas and infrastructure development in locations that continue to fall within the proposed ESA.
