A dawn-to-dusk hartal was observed in Pariyaram village in Thrissur district on Saturday over the proposed inclusion of the village in the ecologically sensitive areas (ESA) category, highlighting a dispute over how environmental boundaries could affect local residents and land in the area.
The hartal was called by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and received support from people across various sections of society, according to a report by the Times of India. RJD state general secretary Eugene Moreli said the response reflected widespread public support and was not due only to the party’s organisational strength.
Moreli said the Centre’s draft list includes the entire Pariyaram village in the ESA category. The claim places the dispute at the level of the village boundary rather than a limited parcel, although the supplied report does not provide the size of the proposed area or details of the specific restrictions that would apply if the draft listing is finalised.
The issue has also exposed a difference between the changes sought by the state government and the list subsequently submitted to the Centre. Moreli said the state government had requested modifications to the proposal, but the state’s submission still includes Kumbalan Mudi, a part of Pariyaram, in the ESA category.
The RJD leader further said that the impact could extend beyond Kumbalan Mudi if the buffer zone is taken into account. The report does not specify the width or legal status of the proposed buffer zone, nor does it state whether the Centre has taken a final decision on the listing. These details remain central to determining how much of Pariyaram could be affected.
The village-wide response indicates that the dispute is not limited to a technical question about a government map. For residents, the key concern is the geographical reach of the proposed designation and whether the area covered by the final notification will correspond to the narrower state submission or the broader draft list attributed to the Centre.
The hartal therefore brings the institutional process behind ESA boundary decisions into public view. The Centre’s draft, the state government’s requested changes and the state-submitted list represent separate stages or versions of the proposal, while local residents are seeking clarity on which boundary will ultimately govern the village.
No final notification, implementation date or official response from the Centre or the state government was included in the supplied report. The immediate next step is clarification of the proposed ESA boundary, including the status of Kumbalan Mudi and the extent to which any buffer zone would affect the rest of Pariyaram.
