The Centre has given four states, including Karnataka, 60 more days to submit their ground survey reports on the ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) of the Western Ghats.
The environment and forests ministry issued a fresh notification in this regard on September 4 after the said states failed to carry out the work in the last one-and-half years.
The ministry superseded the earlier draft notification on the Western Ghats issued on March 10, 2014, with a fresh draft, which attempts to clarify the apprehension and concern of local people over the ESAs.
All stakeholders have also been asked to give their comments and suggestions.
“We had to do this as the previous notification lapsed on September 9. The states now get two more months,” a top environment ministry official told Deccan Herald. Besides Karnataka, the three other defaulting states are Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.