FOREST (CONSERVATION) AMENDMENT BILL 2023

     FOREST (CONSERVATION) AMENDMENT BILL 2023

 Amidst protests against Manipur violence, the Lok Sabha recently passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023. The bill aims to amend certain provisions under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, with the objective of increasing India’s forest cover by creating a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tons of CO equivalent by 2030.

       Contents

•  Clarifying the Scope of Applicability
•  Exemption of Specific Categories of Lands
•  Guidelines and Concerns

 

Clarifying the Scope of Applicability

One of the primary objectives of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, is to provide clarity on the Act’s applicability to different types of lands. It proposes the new short title of the Act to be known as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The bill extends the Act’s applicability to certain types of land, including those notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or recorded in government records after the 1980 Act came into effect.

Exemption of Specific Categories of Lands
The Forest converstion Amendment bill 2023 also brings about exemptions for certain categories of lands from the purview of the Act. These exemptions are aimed at facilitating development projects without compromising the environment excessively. The exempted categories include:
1. Forest land alongside a rail line or a public road maintained by the government, providing access to habitation or rail, and roadside amenities up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectare.
2. Forest land located within a distance of one hundred kilometers along international borders or Line of Control or Line of Actual Control, proposed for the construction of strategic linear projects of national importance concerning national security.
3. Land up to ten hectares proposed for the construction of security-related infrastructure.
4. Land intended for the construction of defense-related projects, camps for paramilitary forces, or public utility projects, within Left Wing Extremism affected areas specified by the Central Government, not exceeding five hectares.
5. Trees or tree plantations raised on lands not declared or notified as a forest as per the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or under any other existing law as of October 25, 1980.

Guidelines and Concerns

While the Forest converstion Amendment bill 2023  bill presents a comprehensive approach to balancing conservation and development, some concerns have been raised during its passage. Critics argue that exempting forest land near border areas for national security projects might negatively impact biodiversity and forest coverage in regions like Jammu & Kashmir and the north-eastern states.
Additionally, the Forest converstion Amendment bill 2023 bill’s exclusion of lands recorded as forests before October 25, 1980, but not officially notified as forests, may be seen as contradicting a Supreme Court judgment focused on preventing deforestation.

TRIVIA:

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is an Indian government ministry. This ministry is headed by Secretary Rank senior most IAS officer. The ministry portfolio is currently held by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The ministry is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating, and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country. The main activities undertaken by the ministry include conservation and survey of the flora of India and fauna of India, forests and other wilderness areas; prevention and control of pollution; Indian Himalayan Environment and its sustainable development; afforestation, and land degradation mitigation. It is responsible for the administration of the 1947 national parks of India.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the cadre controlling authority of the Indian Forest Service (IFS), one of the three All India Services.