Forest Minister Shibu Baby John on Saturday (September 26) urged people not to spread baseless fears in connection with the Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) notification.
Inaugurating the 87th annual general body meeting of the Association of Planters of Kerala (APK) here, the Minister said the government is firm on its stand to completely exclude inhabited areas from the final notification.
The Minister said the government would implement a containment, mitigation and compensation policy to tackle human-wildlife conflict.
APK chairman T.R. Radhakrishnan chaired the meeting. The general body urged the government to introduce a compensation scheme on the model of motor insurance in incidents of wild animals destroying crops. United Planters’ Association of southern India vice-president Anil Mathew demanded that land permitted for diversification be increased from 5% to 30%.
Published – September 26, 2026 09:08 pm IST
