Even as the Keralam government has sought to exclude more than 30 villages covering over 1,500 sq km from the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) proposed by the Centre, the political row over the issue is showing no signs of easing.

The Kerala Congress (M) has now trained its guns on the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, demanding an explanation for the discrepancy between the findings of a five-member government committee in 2014 and the figures submitted to the Centre in September 2026.

Party chairman Jose K. Mani, MP, said the inclusion of agricultural land in 25 villages across nine districts on the latest ESA list was a matter of serious concern. “Even with the ESA affecting 36 Assembly constituencies, including those represented by five Ministers and the Chief Whip, and 15 Lok Sabha constituencies, the UDF leadership has failed to adopt a clear political position,” he alleged.

Special Assembly session

Mr. Mani said the State should have convened a special Assembly session before September 25 and passed a resolution making it clear that inhabited and agricultural areas outside existing reserve forests should not be included in the ESA. The resolution should have been formally conveyed to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, he said, pointing to Karnataka’s special Assembly session on September 21, when it passed a resolution on the issue.

He also demanded that the government publish village-wise details of the forest area identified by the five-member committee in 2014 and compare them with the figures submitted to the Centre in 2026.

The government should also release a comprehensive White Paper covering the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committee reports, the Oommen V. Oommen committee report, subsequent Centre-State correspondence, government decisions and the latest ESA proposal, Mr. Mani demanded.