A coalition of environmental and civic organisations has published a Kannada translation of the seventh draft notification on the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), following complaints that the document remains unavailable in the regional language. The draft, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in July, invites public comments and objections but has not been translated into Kannada, despite the majority of the proposed protected area being in Karnataka. The coalition, which includes groups such as the Bengaluru Environment Forum and the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Association, has made the translated document publicly available to bridge this information gap.

The coalition members argue that the lack of a Kannada version has limited public understanding of the draft’s provisions, which aim to restrict destructive activities in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats. Nirmala Gowda of Mapping Malnad, a coalition member, stated, 'People are being asked to respond to a notification they cannot read.' The Directorate of Translations in Karnataka is responsible for translating Central and State legislations into Kannada, yet the State government has not made the ESA draft available in the regional language, even after more than a decade since the Kasturirangan report was released.

Public sentiment against the draft is widespread, particularly in districts such as Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada, where residents fear the policy could lead to displacement and impact livelihoods. A coalition member claimed, 'Currently, the narrative is being shaped by vested interests, who are spreading misinformation to mobilise support from local communities.' In response, the coalition has notarised the translated document and made it publicly accessible, asserting that they are not interpreting the content but providing the text for public review.

The coalition’s translation includes details about prohibited activities, such as mining and large-scale construction projects, which are categorised under the red category. The member noted, 'None of these will affect local communities in any way. People are being misguided.' The coalition includes over 30 organisations, reflecting broad support for the initiative. This is not the first instance of such a demand; in August 2025, the fishing community in Keni village in Uttara Kannada had requested a Kannada version of an EIA report for a proposed commercial port, which was only provided as a 48-page executive summary instead of the full 600-page English version.

The coalition’s efforts highlight ongoing concerns about the accessibility of environmental policies for local communities and the role of misinformation in shaping public opinion. The situation remains unresolved, with the final decision on the ESA draft yet to be made. The lack of a Kannada version continues to be a point of contention, raising questions about the transparency and inclusivity of the decision-making process.