80% of draft ESA in State already conserved as it comes under reserved/protected forests, says Khandre
Khandre said that roughly eight‑tenths of the state's draft Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) is already covered by existing reserved or protected forest lands. This indicates that the majority of the proposed ESA overlaps with areas already under legal protection, reducing the need for additional land designations. The remaining portion will be evaluated for further conservation measures.