Daily News Analysis » Forest Conservation Amendment Bill 2023

Forest Conservation Amendment Bill 2023

The Parliament has referred the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 to the Select Joint Committee.

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.