Kollam farmers announce shutdown over draft ecological protection boundaries

A coalition of Left farmer organisations has called a daytime shutdown in the hill areas of India's Kollam district on October 27. The groups want eight villages reconsidered under a draft Ecologically Sensitive Area designation.

The Hindu reported on October 9 that the shutdown would run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Organisers oppose the Union government's draft Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification and say Keralam's government failed to protect eight Kollam villages while recommending that 33 other villages be removed from the proposal.

The groups say the disputed inclusion covers nearly 76,000 hectares. They argue that it threatens farmers and residents, including those in Kulathupuzha and Channappetta, and affects land that families have cultivated for generations. The area estimate and assessment of potential harm are the organisers' claims.

The coalition also accuses the state government of submitting its exclusion recommendations without consulting farming organisations or local representatives. It wants an open debate and publication of the map sent to the central authorities, and has criticised the absence of a special legislative assembly session on the issue.

Torchlight processions are planned for October 24 and 25 across affected wards. On the shutdown day, organisers intend to hold extended peaceful sit-ins in the villages.

The dispute concerns a draft rather than a final designation. Onmanorama previously reported the state's proposal to exclude 33 villages and remove inhabited and agricultural areas. The government-run KSREC website provides ESA maps for eight Kollam villages and explains exemptions for the cultural landscape. These documents establish the subject of the dispute but do not independently establish the harm alleged by organisers.