കേരളത്തിലെ പരിസ്ഥിതിലോല മേഖല: ഭൂപടം മാറ്റുന്നതിനെതിരെ ഉയരുന്ന പുതിയ ശബ്ദങ്ങൾ

Most voices from Keralam's hills want the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) map pushed away from their villages. But not all.

In parts of central Travancore, where the Western Ghats and their foothills stretch across large swathes of the landscape, tribal communities, environmentalists and other residents are asking the Union government to keep their villages on the map. They see the ESA not as a boundary to escape, but as a shield against quarrying, encroachment and unregulated construction.

To safeguard livelihoods

That argument, however, puts them at odds with the dominant narrative around the proposed ESA, which is triggering protests in several villages. While many residents fear that inclusion could affect lives and livelihoods, these groups see ecological protection as a means of safeguarding both.

They have also made sure their voices reach the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) before the deadline for submitting remarks on the seventh draft ESA notification ends.

Among those seeking protection are members of the Mala Araya tribal community in the high ranges of central Travancore. Noel V. Samuel, chairman of the Oorukoota Ekopana Samiti, an umbrella organisation of various Mala Araya tribal community collectives, says the ESA protection is necessary for the community to continue living peacefully in the hills.

"The Kasturirangan committee strangely exempted the Moonnilavu village in Kottayam from the ESA list and included Melukavu on it, paving the way for the mushrooming of quarrying and construction in the former. The implementation of the ESA will be a hindrance to the businesses in the red category and unmindful construction activities, which have long forced the Mala Araya tribal community to keep shifting their habitats across these hills," he said.

Opinion divided

But the tribal community also appears far from having a unanimous opinion. The Mala Araya Maha Sabha, another organisation of the community, is opposing the inclusion of tribal habitats in the ESA, citing the long-pending demand for title deeds.

"The issue of title deeds is a huge issue as far as the Mala Araya community in these hills are concerned. We have already demanded an exclusion of the tribal habitats from the ESA map in a memorandum submitted to the President," said P.K. Sajeev, secretary of the organisation.

'Settler communities misled'

In Pathanamthitta, environmental groups are also backing ESA inclusion. The Konni Prakrithi Samrakshana Samiti is accusing mainstream political parties of misleading settler communities by projecting the proposal mainly as a threat to development. "If you take the case of Konni taluk, for instance, this region has one of the highest number of granite quarries anywhere in the State, affecting the air quality and water security of the region. Encroachments on forestland too have been a major issue here," said Salil Vayalathala, president of the collective.

The debate takes an unusual turn in Koodal in Kalanjoor grama panchayat. Here, M.G. Santosh Kumar, a lawyer living on the forest fringes, is approaching the MoEFCC seeking to put the village back on the ESA list. He says the eastern parts of Koodal have rocky hills forming part of the Western Ghats and need protection.

"In order to protect the said rocky mountains/hills, the Koodal village needs to be included on the list of ESA and to be conserved. It was by mistake that the expert committee dropped the Koodal village from the ESA list. The indiscriminate quarrying is degrading the ecosystem of Koodal village. Moreover quarrying in the Western Ghats region will adversely affect the day-to-day life of the villagers," reads his petition, which also flags quarrying, crusher units and M-sand units in the locality.