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The Forest (Conservation) Act 1980:
- It was passed to prevent India’s forest area from being deliberately taken over for uses other than forestry.
- The Act gives the Centre the authority to demand that any forest area that is diverted for uses other than forestry be fairly compensated.
Need for the latest amendments:
- This forest clearance approval is one of the most challenging licenses to get in India.
- The state of India’s land records are poor.
- The court rulings are also often confusing,
The Key Changes to the Act:
Additions:
- Inserting a preamble in the laws that underlines India’s dedication to protecting forests, its biodiversity, and addressing issues related to climate change.
- Changing the existing Forest (Conservation) Act’s name to Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, which translates to “Forest Conservation and Augmentation.”
- The Act would only be applicable to lands designated as “forest” in any government record on or after 1980.
Significance of these Amendments:
- It will encourage private parties who wish to establish plantations in damaged forests
- This was a “hindrance” to India’s intentions to create a “carbon sink” of three billion tonnes by 2030 in accordance with its pledges under the Paris Agreement.
- States will be prevented from allocating to mining firms the forest sections which were intended for plantations.
Criticism of the Forest Amendment Bill:
- Many suggest that these revisions “diluted” the Supreme Court’s decision in the Godavarman case from 1996.
Godavarman Case: In its ruling, the Supreme Court said that we need to protect large areas of forest even if they were not officially recognized as forests. |
- Northeastern States have objected and said that the now forest land would be taken away without consultation for military needs.
Conclusion:
- Input from a variety of stakeholders, including specialists, NGOs, tribal people, and State governments, should be included in this evaluation. We should take ecological, social, and environmental concerns into consideration.
Why in news?
- The Parliament has referred the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 to the Select Joint Committee.
