Mar Thazhath Urges Special Assembly Session Over ESA Concerns

George Kommattam - September 2026

Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of the Archdiocese of Thrissur has called for a special session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly to address concerns raised by more than 3.5 million people living across 131 villages in the state in connection with the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification.

Speaking about the draft notification, Archbishop Thazhath said it has caused serious concern among farmers in the highland regions. He called for discussions between the Central and state governments to correct provisions in the notification that, he said, could affect the constitutional rights of highland farmers and tribal communities to live and pursue their livelihoods.

He also called for the ESA designation to be restricted to forest land and said Kerala’s villages should not be treated as the basic units for identifying ESA areas.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly, he said, should unanimously seek these changes.

There is no disagreement over the need to protect the Western Ghats, Archbishop Thazhath said. At the same time, the lives and livelihoods of people who have lived and farmed in the highland regions for decades with proper documentation must also be protected.

Sustainable development, he stressed, must place people at its centre.

Send your feedback to : onlinekeralacatholic@gmail.com