Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday, 18 September 2026, assured residents of the Malnad and coastal regions that the state government would consult officials and take a formal decision on conducting a physical survey of areas covered under the Kasturirangan report. The assurance came during a public interaction at Hebri in Udupi district, where local organisations and elected representatives pressed the government to adopt the Kerala model before finalising its response to the Union government.

Key Assurances from the Chief Minister

Addressing residents who outlined the problems arising from the report's proposed ecologically sensitive area (ESA) designations, Shivakumar acknowledged the urgency of the timeline. 'We have to send our decision to the Centre by September 27. We have come here so that your opinion becomes our opinion,' he said. He accepted suggestions for an expert committee and confirmed the report would be taken up in the Karnataka Assembly during a three-day special session convened to discuss farmers' issues, drought, and the Kasturirangan report — with the report scheduled for debate on the first day of the session.

Shivakumar also announced plans to travel to Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru to hear public sentiment from those regions directly. 'I do not want to make announcements before you and then forget about them,' he said, pledging continued engagement with elected representatives from Udupi.

The Kerala Model and Demand for Physical Survey

Representatives of local organisations and legislators urged the government not to rely solely on the committee's satellite and GPS-based methodology, arguing that a ground-level physical survey could substantially reduce the area of concern. According to the representatives, the Kasturirangan report covers approximately 13,000 sq km in Kerala and around 20,000 sq km in Karnataka. They pointed out that Kerala conducted a physical survey through a high-level officials' committee, which separated inhabited areas from forested ones and brought the state's covered area down to around 9,000 sq km. A comparable exercise in Karnataka, they claimed, could exclude around 5,000 sq km from the report's coverage.

Residents also raised concerns about the inclusion of areas with more than 100 residents and regions with less than 20 per cent protected forest cover. They said the report had generated widespread fear of eventual displacement and called on the government to build awareness about its actual provisions before any implementation steps.

Forest Rights Act and Other Demands

On the Forest Rights Act, Shivakumar said the government was considering prescribing a uniform 25-year limit — harmonising provisions that currently range from 25 to 75 years — and sending the decision to the Centre. He also instructed Forest Department officials not to harass residents living in forested areas. Separately, representatives sought a zonal management plan and a taluk hospital in Hebri, which the government said it would examine in consultation with officials.

Broader Regional Commitments

Shivakumar highlighted that a special Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru had resulted in 60 decisions, of which 40 were specific to coastal districts. He also referred to the Cabinet's recognition of Tulu as the second additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, and noted that the government had approved several measures to promote tourism and investment in the Malnad and coastal belt to prevent out-migration.

Background: What the Kasturirangan Report Proposes

The Kasturirangan Committee was constituted by the Union government in 2012 under the chairmanship of K. Kasturirangan to review the recommendations of the earlier Gadgil Committee on protecting the Western Ghats. The committee recommended declaring certain parts of the Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA), with restrictions on mining, quarrying, large-scale construction, and select industrial activities within those zones. Its recommendations span six states: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. In Karnataka, the proposals have faced sustained opposition from farmers, residents, and local bodies who fear curbs on agriculture, property rights, and development.

With the Centre's 27 September deadline approaching, Karnataka's position — and how it navigates competing pressures from environmental mandates and local livelihoods — will be closely watched by the five other states in a similar bind.