Areca growers urge Union, State government to reject Kasturirangan report recommendation

Areca growers urge Union, State administration to reject Kasturirangan report recommendation Published – August 21, 2026 08: 51 pm IST – MANGALURU.

Key points

• The All India Areca Growers' Association, Puttur, Dakshina Kannada, has pressed both the Union and State governments to completely reject the recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee report.
• The pros and cons of the latest draft notification issued by the Union administration proposing an eco-sensitive area that covers 20, 668 sq.
• All India Areca Growers' Association notes it is the responsibility of the administration to formulate a policy that balances conservation and the livelihoods of farmers.
• The Western Ghats is an significant environmental asset of the country, and its conservation is essential.
• The role of local farmers in the conservation of the Western Ghats cannot be ignored.

All India Areca Growers' Association notes it is the responsibility of the administration to formulate a policy that balances conservation and the livelihoods of farmers. Photo Credit: File Photo.

Notably, the All India Areca Growers' Association, Puttur, Dakshina Kannada, has pressed both the Union and State governments to completely reject the recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee report.

For context, the Western Ghats is an significant environmental asset of the country, and its conservation is essential. Nevertheless, in the name of conservation, it is unacceptable to impose restrictions on the livelihoods of farmers and rural residents who have been farming in the foothills of the mountain range for plenty of generations, association president, Mahesh Puchchappady, and general secretary, C.G. Venkatagirish, remarked in a release on Friday.

Notably, the pros and cons of the latest draft notification issued by the Union administration proposing an eco-sensitive area that covers 20, 668 sq. Km. Spread throughout 1, 449 villages in Karnataka were discussed at a session of the association.

For context, the association decided to write to the Union and State governments, urging them to completely reject the recommendations of the report, stating that they would have an adverse impact on the livelihoods of farmers.

"The role of local farmers in the conservation of the Western Ghats cannot be ignored. For plenty of decades, farmers have been maintaining the ecological balance of the Western Ghats through their agricultural activities. Farmers in the foothills of the Western Ghats have been living in harmony with nature, integrating agriculture, environment, and the rural economy, " the office-bearers remarked.

Therefore, instead of imposing restrictions in the name of environmental protection that would threaten their agriculture and livelihood, the association demanded that a conservation policy based on local facts and scientific studies be formulated, involving local farmers. It is the responsibility of the administration to formulate a policy that balances conservation and the livelihoods of farmers. Measures that threaten their livelihood in the name of conservation will additionally have an adverse impact on the rural economy, they went on.

Farmers should be considered an significant part of conservation instead of being seen as part of the challenge, the association noted, adding that there was a need to formulate a policy that is practical, scientific, and in line with local realities that will collectively protect the environment, livelihoods, and the rural economy of the Western Ghats.

Taken together, the developments around areca growers urge Union, State government to reject Kasturirangan report recommendation point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.