The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) reissued the draft notification for the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The proposed ESA covers 56,825.7 sq. km across six states. Karnataka has the largest proposed ESA area (20,668 sq. km). It is followed by Maharashtra (17,340 sq. km), Kerala (9,993.7 sq. km), Tamil Nadu (6,914 sq. km), Goa (1,461 sq. km), and Gujarat (449 sq. km). The uneven distribution has led to varying concerns over conservation and development among the states.