A sweeping 10-year development and conservation programme has been proposed for Karnataka's Western Ghats and its adjoining coastal regions, seeking a dedicated constitutional provision — a new Article 371K — to provide a special framework for ecological protection, regional development, and livelihood security. The proposal, submitted to both the Karnataka government and the Union government on Saturday, 14 November, lays out an integrated blueprint covering environmental governance, infrastructure, disaster resilience, and economic transformation through 2027 to 2037.

What the Proposal Contains

The document — formally titled the Karnataka Western Ghats and Coastal Regions Programme 2027–2037 — was submitted by S. Mohanadass Hegde, a member of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission. It identifies seven major policy and project components, anchored by a call for scientific and legal examination of geographical boundaries, settlement patterns, agricultural and plantation lands, traditional occupations, and essential infrastructure, while retaining environmental safeguards and ensuring public consultation.

Central to the proposal is the pursuit of a new Article 371K in the Constitution, which would require the prescribed constitutional amendment process. The provision, if enacted, would create a special framework for community participation, conservation of natural resources, and livelihood security specific to the Western Ghats and coastal belt — a region that critics and ecologists argue has long been caught between development pressures and fragile biodiversity.

Ecological Investment and Green Economy Initiatives

Two flagship initiatives form the ecological and economic core of the programme. The first, the Western Ghats Ecological Investment and Sustainable Asset Management initiative (WGEISAM), would focus on forest and biodiversity conservation, watershed protection, river and stream restoration, soil and water conservation, habitat restoration, and scientific ecological monitoring.

The second, the Western Ghats Green Industry and Development Initiative (WG-AGIDAM), would promote environmentally suitable green industries, clean technologies, agro-processing, horticulture and plantation value addition, sustainable fisheries, responsible tourism, entrepreneurship, and local employment. The proposal explicitly states that economic activities under this initiative would be confined to legally permitted and environmentally suitable locations, subject to applicable laws and clearances.

Governance Architecture and Implementation Plan

The proposal recommends examining the feasibility of a Western Ghats Regional Development and Ecological Board to coordinate conservation, regional planning, and interdepartmental cooperation — without duplicating existing statutory institutions. A GIS-based Regional Development Atlas has also been proposed to map forests, protected areas, Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA), Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regions, rivers, watersheds, coastal settlements, agricultural lands, livelihood zones, and disaster-prone locations.

The Planning Department has been proposed as the nodal department, with the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission providing policy coordination and strategic support, subject to government approval. A Regional Development and Economic Transformation Mission would coordinate implementation at the state, district, taluk, and village levels through district-wise action plans and measurable development targets.

Four-Phase Rollout from 2027 to 2037

Implementation is envisaged across four phases between 2027 and 2037, beginning with baseline studies, mapping, and legal examination, followed by phased implementation, expansion, and a final evaluation stage. The proposal also calls for the constitution of a multidisciplinary expert committee to examine its constitutional, legal, ecological, developmental, institutional, and financial dimensions.

This comes amid long-running debates over the Kasturirangan Committee report on Western Ghats ESA demarcation, which has faced sustained opposition from farming and plantation communities across Karnataka, Kerala, and Goa. The new proposal attempts to thread that needle by pairing ecological protection with a regional development policy covering agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, tribal development, healthcare, renewable energy, and disaster resilience. Whether the Centre and state governments take the constitutional route forward remains to be seen.