GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Environment, Conservation
Source: IE
Context: The government introduced The Forest (Conservation), Amendment Bill, 2023 in Lok Sabha to make changes to The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Background:
- Following independence, vast swathes of forest land were designated as reserved and protected forests and brought under state forest departments.
- Many forested areas were left out and areas without any standing forests were included in ‘forest’ lands.
- According to the State of Forests Report (SFR 2021), nearly 28%/197,159 sq km (of India’s recorded forest cover – 713,789 sq km) is not recorded as ‘forest’.
- The anomalies were supposed to be sorted out through extensive ground surveys but the process remained incomplete.
- In 1996, the SC suspended the felling of trees across the country and ruled that the FC Act would apply to all land parcels that were either recorded/resembled forest.
- This sweeping order helped check rampant deforestation but prevented the exclusion of vast areas already used for agriculture/homesteads.
- The 2023 Bill seeks to limit the applicability of the FC Act only to land recorded as ‘forest’.
Key features:
| Act | Bill | |
| Restrictions on activities in the forest | ● Restricts the de-reservation of forest or use of forest land for non-forest purposes
● Specifies certain activities (conservation, management and development of forest and wildlife) that will be excluded from non-forest purposes |
Adds more activities to this list such as:
(i) zoos and safaris under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, (ii) eco-tourism facilities, (iii) silvicultural operations (enhancing forest growth), etc. |
| Land under the purview | The Bill provides that two types of land will be under the purview of the Act:
● Land declared/notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or under any other law, or ● Land not covered in the first category but notified as a forest on or after October 25, 1980 in a government record. |
|
| Exempted categories of land | The Bill exempts certain types of land from the provisions of the Act such as –
● Forest land along a rail line or a public road maintained by the government ● Land situated within 100 km along the international borders ● Land up to 10 hectares, proposed to be used for constructing security-related infrastructure, etc. |
|
| Assigning of land through a lease or otherwise | The state government or any authority requires prior approval of the central government to direct the assigning of forest land through a lease or otherwise to any organisation not owned by the government. | The Bill provides that such assigning may be done to any organisation subject to terms and conditions prescribed by the central government. |
| Power to issue directions | The Bill adds that the central government may issue directions for the implementation of the Act to any other authority/organisation under or recognised by the centre, state or UT. | |
The predominant idea of the proposed changes:
- To build forest carbon stock by raising plantations.
- To make land available for developers to meet their legal obligation towards compensatory afforestation in lieu of forest land diverted for development projects.
- To achieve both these objectives by
- Restricting the applicability of the FC Act, and
- Freeing up land that is currently locked up as unrecorded forests.
Concerns:
- If the scope of the FC Act is restricted, fewer projects will be required to obtain forest clearance → affecting compensatory afforestation.
- Conservationists see this as a double whammy → losing unrecorded forests to plantations → diverting recorded forests for projects.
- The proposed exemptions leave a lot to the Centre to decide retrospectively.
- Though the Bill keeps up with dynamic changes in the ecology, strategic and economic aspirations, and improvement in the livelihoods of tribals/forest dwellers, it boils down to pushing plantations to achieve carbon neutrality.
Conclusion: Forests are a lot more than a sum of trees. Unlike man-made plantations, natural forests perform a range of ecosystem services that are key to the survival and well-being of millions of species.
Insta Links:
Prelims Links: (UPSC 2019)
Consider the following statements:
- As per the recent amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, forest dwellers have the right to fell the bamboos grown on forest areas
- As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, bamboo is a minor forest produce
- The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition Forest Rights) Act, 2006 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Ans: 2
