For families who have lived and farmed in Kerala’s high ranges for generations, the Western Ghats are not just a global ecological treasure. They are home, farmland and livelihood. So, as the Centre prepares yet another notification to protect the mountain range, an old concern has returned: how much will the move affect the lives and livelihoods of those for whom these hills are home?

Stretching from the Tapti river in Gujarat to Kanyakumari and home to a rich variety of rare flora and fauna, the Western Ghats could retain its UNESCO World Heritage status. India could also benefit from carbon funds from developed countries. These, and protecting the region’s ecology and biodiversity, are the Union environment ministry’s expectations as it prepares to issue yet another notification proposing to declare parts of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).

There is, however, an irony to the uncertainty facing those living in these hills. Several decades before the ESA proposal took shape, the government itself had encouraged people to settle in these forested areas and cultivate the land under the ‘Grow More Food’ programme, at a time when the country was battling food shortage. Now, the question is whether those once encouraged to cultivate these hills will now have to navigate a new set of restrictions to continue living and farming there.

The Centre issued the first draft notification, based on the Kasturirangan report, on March 10, 2014. However, objections prevented it from issuing the final notification. Six more draft notifications followed, but none could break the deadlock.

The seventh draft notification was issued on July 27, with the public given until September 25 to file objections and suggestions. The Centre is expected to issue the final notification soon, bringing the identified areas under its regulatory framework.

For farmers’ organisations, the latest move has once again brought their concerns to the fore. They say the proposal may strengthen India’s environmental credentials, but could put further pressure on people already struggling to make a living in the hills. Crop losses and frequent wild animal attacks have already made life difficult for high-range farmers.

The draft notification allows farming to continue in ESA areas. But farmers fear that restrictions could eventually extend to the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and tree felling. Infrastructure development, including the construction of new roads and widening of existing ones, could also face hurdles. Another concern is that residents may have to obtain clearances from the forest and environment departments for various activities within the zone.

“For people in the high ranges, agriculture and tourism are the main sources of livelihood. The ESA will only push them decades behind,” says advocate Jose Cheruvil, legal cell director of the Kerala Independent Farmers Association.

The concern is particularly acute in Kerala. In larger states, forests often border vast stretches of uninhabited land. Kerala’s high ranges, however, are densely populated, with homes and farms closely interspersed with forested areas.