Church leaders have urged the communist-led government in a southern Indian state to clear doubts over the likely evi-ction of people, most of them Christians, in the eco-sensi-tive Western Ghats mountain range. The Kerala government did not take into consideration people’s concerns about the proposed declaration of areas within a kilometre of protected forest areas as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) in the hilly and forested areas of Idukki and Wayanad districts, they said. Many Catholic dioceses and parishes are located in these districts, which are part of the Western Ghats. Nearly 3 milli-on people, mainly Christians, living in 121 villages fear they may be evicted if they end up being marked as ESZs. ”We are confused and the people are confused. Unless we pre-sent a correct picture, our villa-ges with human habitation will be declared ecologically sensi-tive areas and people will su-ffer,” said Fr Jins Karakkat, director of the media commi-ssion at the Idukki Diocese of the Eastern Rite Syro-Malabar Church. Church leaders alleg-ed that the government did not involve the public in identifying the ESZs as directed by the federal forest ministry in its official notification. Karakkat hinted at launching a public agitation if the government continued to be evasive and did not respond to the people’s concerns. “The government has not yet responded to the demand of the Church,” he told.
More than 50% (approx 20,000 sq km) of the total land area of Kerala, which is India’s most densely populated state, falls in the Western Ghats. The mountain range has witnessed ecological damage and erosion due to increasing human acti-vity over the past few decades.
An expert committee appointed by the Kerala go-vernment had recommended limiting the ESZs to 9,993.7 square kilometres, which included 9,107 sq. km of forest and 886.7 sq. km of non-forest areas. 
In recent years, heavy rainfalls and landslides have caused the loss of human life and property in the districts of Idukki and Wayanad.
India’s Supreme Court in its order on June 3, 2022, declared all areas within a kilometre of protected forest areas as ESZs and forbade construction of new permanent structures within them. This left the people living in those areas for generations with no other option but to face eviction from the ecologically sensitive zones.
The federal forest ministry has accepted the suggestion of the expert committee. According to media reports, Kerala is planning to reduce the extent of the ESZs further and may submit a new draft proposal to the federal forest ministry after it sought its suggestions and objection to the proposed ESZs within 60 days through a July 31 notification.