Protest march in Hosanagara to oppose ESA draft notification - The HinduPublished - August 28, 2026 06:57 pm IST - ShivamoggaR.M. Manjunath Gowda, president of Shivamogga District Central Cooperative Bank, and others at a press conference in Shivamogga on Friday. | Photo Credit: S.K. DineshFarmers of Hosanagara taluk will take out a padayatra (protest march) on Saturday opposing the Union government’s draft notification proposing to declare 20,668 sq. km of the Western Ghats in Karnataka as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).The people of Hosanagara taluk will gather under the banner of the Western Ghats Raitha Sahakara Vedike — an umbrella forum of cooperative societies and organisations of Shivamogga district - for the protest march from Siddi Vinayaka Temple at Karagadi to Hosanagara., about 9 km. The march will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at Hosanagar, where a public meeting will be held.Addressing a press conference in Shivamogga on Friday, R.M. Manjunath Gowda, president of the Shivamogga District Co-operative Central Bank and the Malnad Area Development Board, said hundreds of farmers would take part in the protest march as the issue was concerned to a large section of people in the region. As many as 125 villages of Hosanagara taluk had been listed in the draft notification, that proposes to bring a vast stretch — including human habitations, villages, and agricultural and horticultural land — under the ESA.Mr. Gowda said the principal objection was that the expert committee headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan, had not consulted the gram panchayats, villagers, or local residents before making its recommendations, which the Ministry was now moving to implement.“The entire survey was based on satellite and remote-sensing imagery. Neither the experts nor the Ministry’s representatives visited the ground, understood the issue, or held discussions with the people before drafting the notification,” Mr. Gowda said.Kerala-modelHe said the State government, headed by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, had extended its support and pledged to stand by the people. “We welcome the Chief Minister’s statement that he would convene a special session of the legislature to discuss the issue,” Mr. Gowda said.He added that the protesters would press for a resolution modelled on the approach adopted by neighbouring Kerala. “The Kerala government carried out a physical survey of the land and excluded habitations, homesteads, and agricultural land, fixing village boundaries accordingly. A similar exercise should be taken up in Karnataka to exclude human habitation from the ESA, while the rest of the land could be declared ecologically sensitive. We have no objection to that — we too support protecting the Western Ghats,” Mr. Gowda said.Website launchedThe organisation has also launched a website - www.savefarmers.in - where the public can file objections. “We have launched the website to help people, particularly farmers of the Malnad region, file their objections. The process is easy and people should make use of the platform to ensure their voice is heard,” Mr. Gowda said.B.R. Jayanth, convener of the forum, and others were present.Published - August 28, 2026 06:57 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 }