Coalition publishes Kannada translation of seventh ESA draft to bridge information gap for local communities

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A view of the Western Ghats. The the seventh draft notification on the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area, which aims to restrict destructive activities in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats, was published by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in July inviting comments and objections from the public. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

A coalition of organisations has published a Kannada translation of the seventh draft notification on the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), given that the draft is currently available only in Hindi and English.

The draft, which aims to restrict destructive activities in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats, was published by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in July inviting comments and objections from the public.

Despite the largest share of the proposed protected area being in Karnataka, the draft has not been made available in Kannada, thereby limiting the understanding of a large section of the State on what the draft proposes.

The Kannada translation of the proposed policy was published by the coalition to bridge this information gap.  

“People are being asked to respond to a notification they cannot read,” said Nirmala Gowda, from Mapping Malnadu which is part of the coalition. 

In Karnataka, the Directorate of Translations is responsible for translating Central and State legislations, Acts, and Rules into Kannada.  

The coalition members point out that despite having an institutional mechanism for translation in place, the State government has not made the notification available to the public in Kannada even after more than a decade passed since the Kasturirangan report came out. 

Following the draft notification, there is widespread public sentiment against it, especially in places such as Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada, where people fear that it would result in their displacement and hit their livelihood.  

“Currently, the narrative is being shaped by vested interests, who are spreading misinformation to mobilise support from local communities,” claimed a coalition member.  

As a response, the coalition has translated the draft notification, notarised it, and made it publicly available.   

“We are not interpreting or explaining anything here. People can go through the translated document and take decisions,” said the member. 

“As per the draft notification, mining falls under the prohibited red category of activities. There are several politicians associated with mining in the Western Ghats. Big projects like the Sharavati pump storage project, hydel projects and nuclear power projects, and construction projects with built-up area of 20,000 sq. m or more are also prohibited. But none of these will affect local communities in any way. People are being misguided,” one of the members said. 

Other members of the coalition include Bengaluru Environment Forum, Federation of Shivamogga Citizens’ Welfare Forums, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Association, Friends for Future, Go Green, Green Life Shivamogga Trust, Human Rights Foundation, Jana Sangrama Parishat, Karnataka Jnana Vijnana Samiti and Karnataka Sarvodaya Mandali, N.E.C.F., Nature First, Parisara Sangama Vedike, Parisarakagi Naavu Sanghatane, Paryavarani Foundation, Rashtra Bhaktara Balaga, Saara Kendra, Sangatya, Sneha Kunja Trust, Ulivu Foundation, United Conservation Movement and Yuva Sanchalana. 

This is not the first time that a lack of adequate information in regional language before finalising critical decisions around environment has been pointed out. 

In August 2025, the local fishing community in Keni village in Uttara Kannada had demanded a Kannada translation of the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for a proposed commercial port by JSW in the region. While the English version of the draft report was around 600 pages, the Kannada version was only a 48-page executive summary. 

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