Bengaluru, Aug. 22 -- The long-pending Kasturirangan report on protection of the Western Ghats has once again triggered a sharp confrontation between the Centre and Karnataka, with the union government moving ahead with its latest draft notification and the State opposing its implementation, citing concerns over the livelihood of people living in the ecologically sensitive region.
The Centre's latest draft, issued on July 27, proposes declaring 56,825.7 sq km as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), covering 1,439 villages across 10 Karnataka districts. The proposed ESA includes 566 villages in Uttara Kannada, 446 in Shivamogga, 137 in Chikkamagaluru, 62 in Belagavi, 53 in Kodagu, 48 in Mysuru, 43 in Dakshina Kannada, 34 in Udupi, 30 in Hassa...