Farmers take out protest march in Hosanagara opposing ESA notification - The HinduUpdated - August 29, 2026 07:36 pm IST - ShivamoggaHundreds of farmers participating in the protest march in Hosanagara on Saturday, opposing the ESA notification. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTHundreds of farmers took part in a protest march from Karanagiri to Hosanagara, about nine kilometres, on Saturday, opposing the seventh draft notification declaring over 20,668 sq. km. of area around the Western Ghats in the State as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).Under the banner of the Western Ghats Raitha Sahakari Vedike, farmers and elected representatives participated in the march. All along the route, they raised slogans against the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. They carried placards opposing the Kasturirangan Committee report, on the basis of which the notification has been issued.Shivamogga MP B.Y. Raghavendra, former Minister Araga Jnanendra, Sagar MLA Belur Gopal Krishna, and Western Ghats Raitha Sahakari Okkuta president M.R. Manjunath Gowda, among others, took part in the protest and addressed the gathering at Hosanagara.The leaders maintained that they would stand united on the issue, setting aside political differences. They urged the State government to conduct a physical survey of the land and to keep human habitats and cultivated landscapes out of the ambit of the notification.Mr. Manjunath Gowda said the neighbouring State of Kerala had succeeded in reducing the extent of area under the ESA after conducting a physical survey, and that a similar exercise should be carried out in Karnataka.The organisation is scheduled to hold similar protest marches in Sagar, Tirthahalli, Shikaripur and other parts of the district to spread awareness on the issue and to press the government for action, the organisers said.Published - August 29, 2026 07:35 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }