The Gazette publication of the draft notification on the Kasturirangan panel report for conservation of Western Ghats was made by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on Tuesday. However, the notification issued on November 13, 2013, will stand till a final notification is issued after the specified 60 days period. The recommendation of the state to exclude ‘cultural landscape’ from Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs), comprising residential areas, agricultural belts, orchards, horticultural plots and plantation areas has been accepted, bringing down the High Level Working Group (HLWG) demarcation of 13,108 sq kms to 9993.7 sq km. Out of the reduced extent, forest area covers 9,107 sq km and the remaining 886.7 sq km is non-forest area. The Gazette notification mentions that the impact of the HLWG recommendations was gauged by Kerala by setting up panchayat level committees in 123 ESA villages and through on the spot verifications after interaction with various stake holders. The HLWG had identified an approximate 37 pc of the Western Ghats in six states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - as ecologically sensitive. It covered an approximate 59,940 square km in six states, representing a continuous band of natural vegetation extending over a horizontal distance of 1,500 km. After the demarcation of ESA under the aegis of Kerala government, the total extent of land has come down to 56,825 sq km. In effect, the restrictions which would have come into effect for various activities such as rock and sand mining, as well as allied and service sectors, will come down considerably through the new measure. No other state other than Kerala has undertaken on the spot verification to counter findings of HLWG.