Complete exclusion of Dodamarg raises questions, while 25 villages in the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg wildlife corridor already enjoy separate legal protection
Sindhudurg: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued a fresh draft notification proposing the declaration of 56,825.7 square kilometres of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area across six states.
The draft, issued on July 27, 2026, is open for public objections and suggestions until September 25. It is the seventh such draft issued since 2014 as the Centre and the concerned states continue to work towards finalising the boundaries of the proposed protected area.
The move has been welcomed by environmental organisations, activists and citizens who have long demanded stronger safeguards for the ecologically fragile Western Ghats.
The mountain range extends for nearly 1,600 kilometres along India’s western coast and passes through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Parts of the Western Ghats were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.
From Gadgil to Kasturirangan
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, headed by ecologist Dr Madhav Gadgil, had recommended extensive environmental protection across the region, with graded conservation measures based on ecological sensitivity.
A subsequent High-Level Working Group headed by Dr K Kasturirangan recommended a considerably smaller area for protection. The latest draft proposes notifying approximately 56,825.7 square kilometres as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.
The proposed designation would regulate or prohibit activities considered environmentally damaging, including commercial mining, quarrying, sand mining and certain highly polluting industries.
179 Sindhudurg Villages Included
In Sindhudurg district, 179 villages have reportedly been included in the latest draft.
These comprise:
- 21 villages in Devgad taluka
- 39 villages in Kankavli
- 40 villages in Kudal
- 50 villages in Sawantwadi
- 29 villages in Vaibhavwadi
However, Dodamarg taluka has not been included in the district-wise list under the broader Western Ghats draft, despite being known for its dense forests, wildlife movement routes and high biodiversity.
The omission has caused concern among environmentalists, who have questioned why one of the district’s most ecologically significant regions has been left outside the proposed area.
Separate Protection for 25 Corridor Villages
Environmental activist and Vanashakti representative Stalin Dayanand clarified that 25 villages falling within the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg wildlife corridor already have separate protection under a final notification issued earlier in 2026.
The protected corridor covers 212.59 square kilometres. Its notification followed litigation initiated by Vanashakti and Awaaz Foundation and directions from the Bombay High Court to protect the wildlife corridor and its ecosystem.
Therefore, the absence of some of these villages from the latest Western Ghats draft does not remove the protection already granted to them under the separate corridor notification.
Dayanand said residents of the 25 villages need not fear that the fresh draft would dilute their existing legal protection.
Call for Wider Western Ghats Protection
Environmental activist Dr Jayendra Parulekar described the draft as another important step in the long struggle to protect the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats.
He said the region supports thousands of plant species and a rich diversity of mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and butterflies.
Environmentalists, scientists and concerned citizens, however, continue to demand wider protection in line with the original recommendations of the Gadgil Committee.
They argue that fragmented protection may leave environmentally important forests and wildlife corridors vulnerable to mining, deforestation, construction and other development pressures.
Editorial Note
The July 27 document is a draft notification, not a final notification. The story should consistently use “Ecologically Sensitive Area” or “ESA” rather than “Eco-Sensitive Zone,” as the two terms are used for different regulatory contexts.
