By: K M Rajanna
“A shield for our soil, a sanctuary for our soul” – the Kasturirangan Report is not a barrier, but a blessing.
It protects the sacred forests of Coorg, preserves the land of our ancestors and safeguards the eternal home of our indigenous people.
Let Coorg remain a living heritage – not a dumping ground for tomorrow’s metropolis.
Let us not be swayed by the cries of the land mafia ; let us stand firm for the protection of our land, our forests, and the *future of Coorg.”
The original Kasturirangan High Level Working Group (HLWG) Report in brief:
The subsequent Central Government draft notifications, and the relevant Karnataka/central laws. There is one very important distinction:
The Kasturirangan Report itself is a recommendation. It is not, by itself, a blanket law saying that every property in the Western Ghats can or cannot be used in a particular way. The actual restrictions depend on whether the particular survey number falls within the finally notified Western Ghats ESA, and also on other laws such as forest, wildlife, tree-felling, building and arms laws.
As of August 2026, the Western Ghats ESA process is still not fully settled. The latest Central draft was republished on 31 July 2024, covering 56,825.7 sq km across six states, and the Ministry says the matter is being considered for phased finalisation.
What exactly did the Kasturirangan Report recommend?
The HLWG headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan submitted its report on 15 April 2013.
Its biggest difference from the Gadgil Report was that it did not recommend putting the entire Western Ghats under the same stringent ecological regime.
The HLWG identified approximately: 1,64,280 sq km as the Western Ghats region.
Around 60% was already a human-dominated/cultural landscape — settlements, agriculture and plantations.
Only about 41% remained natural landscape.
It proposed about 37% of the Western Ghats — approximately 59,940/60,000 sq km — as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
The ESA was principally intended to protect the remaining natural landscape.
This is extremely important for people owning coffee, pepper, cardamom, rubber and other plantation properties.
The report was deliberately designed to distinguish between natural landscape and existing human agricultural/plantation landscapes.
*Can plantation crops such as COFFEE be continued? YES —* this is one of the most important points.
The Kasturirangan approach did not propose banning existing agriculture and plantation activity.
In fact, the subsequent draft notification expressly records that agriculture and plantation activity should not be affected by the ESA provisions. The Central Government’s draft history also states that there should be no displacement/dislocation of local people and that agriculture and plantation activity would not be affected.
Therefore, for a normal private coffee estate:
Existing coffee plantation – Generally – *YES* .
( *** ) Pepper cultivation – Generally – *YES* .
( *** ) Cardamom – Generally – *YES* .
( *** ) Fruit trees/agricultural crops – Generally – *YES* .
Maintaining and improving an existing plantation – Generally – *YES* , subject to other applicable laws.
Converting natural forest into a plantation – *NO* – this is an entirely different matter.
The protection is aimed particularly at preventing destruction/conversion of natural landscape.
So “ESA” does not mean “no farming.”
That distinction is often misunderstood.
How much house can be built?
This is where there is considerable confusion.
The Kasturirangan recommendation referred to a prohibition on building/construction projects of 20,000 sq metres and above in the ESA. The Supreme Court has also recorded the HLWG recommendation in those terms.
20,000 square metres is approximately 215,278 sq ft, equivalent to four(4.94) acres and 94 cents— *bigger than the Mysuru palace..* …..Do we need a house bigger than the palace.❓
*Very important:*
The 2024 Central draft notification similarly proposes restrictions on new/expanded building and construction projects having built-up area of 20,000 sq metres or more. It separately addresses large township/area-development projects of 50 hectares or more or built-up area of 1,50,000 sq metres or more.
But there is another important point.
This does NOT mean that an individual landowner automatically has a right to construct a 2,15,000 sq ft house.
A normal residential building is still subject to:
*(a)* Local planning / Building rules
*(b)* Panchayat/Municipality permission
land-use rules
*(c)* Karnataka Forest laws where applicable
*(d)* Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act
*(e)* CRZ rules, if applicable
*(f)* Wildlife/forest restrictions if applicable
other environmental clearances where applicable.
What about a normal 2,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 sq ft house?
The Kasturirangan ESA proposal does not say that every individual house below 20,000 m² is prohibited.
In fact, the 2024 draft specifically says:
Existing residential houses can be repaired, extended or renovated subject to prevailing laws and regulations.
For a new private house, however, you must check the applicable local and environmental permissions.
*Can you keep a licensed gun in an ESA?*
Kasturirangan Report itself does NOT ban a licensed firearm.
The possession of a firearm is governed primarily by the Arms Act, 1959.
Section 3 provides that a person cannot acquire, possess or carry a firearm/ammunition without the appropriate licence.
Therefore:
Private land + Western Ghats ESA
A validly licensed firearm is not automatically prohibited merely because the land is in the Kasturirangan ESA.
However, there is a very important distinction if the property is inside or near a Wildlife Sanctuary/National Park.
Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act:
*(a)* Entry into a sanctuary with a weapon requires prior written permission;
*(b)* Persons holding arms licences residing in or within 10 km of a sanctuary have specific registration requirements;
*(c)* New arms licences within 10 km of a sanctuary require prior concurrence of the Chief Wildlife Warden.
*(d)* *Can trees be cut for personal/domestic use?*
This is NOT primarily a Kasturirangan issue.
It is governed largely by Karnataka’s tree and forest laws.
The Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976 applies in Karnataka and regulates tree felling.
The Karnataka rules specifically contemplate *applications for felling trees for purposes such as:*
*(a)* Coffee cultivation
*(b)* Rubber cultivation
*(c)* Cardamom cultivation
*(d)* Construction of a building and require supporting documents in appropriate cases.
There are also provisions relating to bona fide domestic use, and the legislative history records limits for domestic timber/firewood use.
Therefore:
It is not correct to say: ” *Kasturirangan has banned me from cutting any tree.”*
Particularly important are:
*(a)* Sandalwood
*(b)* Rosewood
*(c)* Government/reserved trees
*(d)* Trees in forest land
*(e)* Trees in protected areas
*(f)* Trees subject to special notifications.
For these, much stricter rules may apply.
*Can domestic animals be reared? YES, generally.*
This is another area where the Kasturirangan Report should not be misunderstood.
The ESA proposal is not a prohibition on keeping ordinary domestic livestock.
For example, on an ordinary private agricultural/plantation property, keeping:
*(a)* Cows
*(b)* Buffaloes
*(c)* Goats
*(d)* Sheep
*(e)* Poultry
*(f)* Other ordinary domestic livestock.
Points to be noted as a common farmer :—
Activity Kasturirangan/ESA position
1. Existing agriculture ✅ Generally allowed
2. Coffee plantation ✅ Generally allowed
3. Pepper/cardamom ✅ Generally allowed
4. Existing plantations ✅ Generally allowed
5. Domestic livestock ✅ Generally allowed, subject to other laws
6. Normal residential use ✅ Not blanket-banned
7. Repair of existing house ✅ Allowed subject to prevailing laws
8. Large building/construction ≥20,000 m² ❌ Proposed prohibited
9. Large township/area development ❌ Restricted/prohibited at specified thresholds
10. New mining ❌ Prohibited
11. Quarrying ❌ Prohibited
12. Sand mining ❌ Prohibited
13. New thermal power plants ❌ Prohibited
14. New Red-category industries ❌ Prohibited/restricted
15. Hydropower ⚠️ Permitted only with stringent conditions
16. Licensed firearm ✅ ESA itself does not ban it
17. Tree cutting ⚠️ Separate Karnataka laws/permission apply
18. Natural forest conversion ❌ Highly restricted/prohibited
19. Wildlife sanctuary activities ⚠️ Separate Wildlife Protection Act applies
The core restrictions on mining, quarrying, sand mining, thermal power, red-category industries and large construction are documented both in the HLWG report and subsequent governmental/legal records.
The MOST IMPORTANT issue for a landowner
If you are asking this because you have a coffee estate/property in Kodagu/Coorg, don’t stop at the words “Kasturirangan area.”
You need to establish four separate things:
*(A)* Is your survey number actually inside the proposed/final ESA?
Not merely: “Kodagu is in the Western Ghats.” You need to know whether your exact village + survey number is inside the notified ESA boundary.
*(B)* Is it private revenue land or forest land?
This is extremely important.
A private coffee estate and reserve forest may be geographically next to each other but legally have completely different rules.
*(C)* Is it inside any Wildlife Sanctuary/ESZ/National Park/Tiger Reserve?
This can create additional restrictions beyond Kasturirangan.
*(D)* What is the current Karnataka land-use/building position?
A house may be environmentally permissible but still require local planning/building approval.
*Very important:* Kasturirangan is NOT the same as Gadgil
This is worth remembering. Gadgil: Much broader protection.
It proposed essentially the entire Western Ghats under ecological sensitivity with graded protection.
*Kasturirangan: Much more targeted.*
It *attempted to remove much of the:
*(a)* Agricultural land
*(b)* Plantations
*(c)* Settlements*
from the most restrictive ESA approach and concentrate protection on the remaining natural landscape.
That is why the Kasturirangan approach is considerably more compatible with existing coffee and plantation livelihoods.
What is the position TODAY — August 2026?
*This is extremely important.*
Do not treat the 2013 Kasturirangan Report as though it is today’s final law.
The Central Government’s latest major draft notification was issued on 31 July 2024. It proposed 56,825.7 sq km across six Western Ghats states. The Ministry’s 2024–25 annual report says a committee was constituted to address the states’ concerns and examine their suggestions.
And the current discussion remains unresolved. A June 2026 report noted that the ESA notification process continues to face disagreement, particularly with Karnataka and Kerala.
Karnataka has also previously sought a smaller ESA area than the Central proposal. In September 2024, the state indicated 16,114 sq km rather than the roughly 20,668 sq km associated with the Central proposal for Karnataka.
Therefore, today:
You cannot determine your rights merely by saying “Kasturirangan applies to my property.”
The exact survey number + notification + land classification + other protected-area status must be checked.
If your property is a private coffee plantation in Kodagu, and it is not forest land and not inside a Wildlife Sanctuary/National Park, the Kasturirangan framework should not be understood as stopping normal plantation life.
*You can generally continue:*
☑️ Coffee cultivation
☑️ Pepper cultivation
☑️ Cardamom/other agricultural crops
☑️ Existing plantation activities
☑️ Domestic livestock
☑️ Normal residential use subject to building laws
☑️ Ordinary agricultural activities
If any has a different opinion on this issue, please share it openly and respectfully.let us help everyone understand the Kasthurirangan report in its true spirit in.
From:-
Mr.K. M. Rajappa.
Nectarfresh.
Mysuru.
Join our WhatsApp Group for News and Article Alerts
