Bengaluru: The state government plans to take an all-party delegation of MPs and MLAs to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convey the state’s strong reservations against declaring parts of the Western Ghats an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA).

The move to approach the Prime Minister comes ahead of a three-day special legislature session starting Monday, where the state will formulate its official response to the Centre’s latest draft notification on the Kasturirangan report, alongside reviewing the drought situation.

The Centre has asked states to submit their feedback by September 27. Karnataka has consistently opposed the proposed ESA tag, warning that it would adversely impact livelihoods, plantations, farming communities, and infrastructure development across the region.

Under the latest draft, the Union government has proposed declaring 20,668 sq km across 10 districts in Karnataka as ecologically sensitive. Earlier notification said the move would affect 1,449 villages across 39 taluks.

Ahead of the legislature session, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar toured key Western Ghats districts, including the coffee-growing region of Sakleshpur in Hassan, to interact with local residents, farmers, and area legislators.

“We will first understand the sentiments of the people and farmers, as well as the situation of those living near forest areas, before discussing the matter in the House,” the Chief Minister said, assuring that the government’s stance will reflect local concerns.

The Kasturirangan panel had recommended designating ecologically fragile pockets of the Western Ghats as ESA to strike a balance between conservation and development. While the draft framework exempts agriculture and plantation activities, it seeks to ban or restrict mining, quarrying, and large construction or industrial projects.

The Centre has maintained that the recurring notification exercise seeks to preserve the ecologically fragile Western Ghats while enabling sustainable development and addressing specific state concerns.