| Introduction: Provide a brief introduction on the “Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 weakens the very purpose of the legislation, which is to protect and conserve India’s forests” Body: Write 3-4 points on “How The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 weakens the purpose of the legislation”. Write 2-3 points on the ways the bill can be modified so that no one is at loss. Conclusion: Provide a conclusion on the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 and the balance upheld to protect forests and biodiversity. |
Contents
Introduction:
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha to make changes to The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The proposed amendments focus on building carbon stocks in plantations and providing land for compensatory afforestation in lieu of diverted forest land. However, these changes weaken the original purpose of the legislation, which is to protect and conserve India’s forests.
How The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 weakens the purpose of the legislation?
- Restricting applicability of the FC Act: The Bill limits the applicability of the Forest (Conservation) Act only to land recorded as ‘forest.’ This excludes millions of hectares of land that have forest characteristics but are not officially notified as such, removing their protection under the Act.
- Ignoring unrecorded forests: Vast areas of unrecorded forests were left out during the process of designating reserved and protected forests. Instead of completing the demarcation process, the Bill ignores these unrecorded forests, further jeopardizing their protection.
- Promoting plantations over natural forests: The Bill incentivizes the establishment of plantations on land where the FC Act is not applicable. These plantations can then be used to compensate for the diversion of recorded forest land for development projects. This trade-off between natural forests and plantations weakens the conservation goals of the legislation.
- Expanding exemptions: The proposed amendments seek to expand exemptions for certain projects and activities from obtaining forest clearance. This includes strategic linear projects near international borders and areas affected by Left Wing Extremism. Such exemptions further undermine the conservation efforts of the legislation.
Way forward:
- Complete ground surveys: Instead of limiting the applicability of the FC Act, there should be a focus on completing the demarcation process for unrecorded forests. This would ensure their inclusion and protection under the legislation.
- Balance development and conservation: There should be a careful balance between development projects and forest conservation. Compensatory afforestation should be carried out on non-forest land or degraded forest land, rather than promoting plantations over natural forests.
- Indigenous and forest community rights: The rights of indigenous and forest communities should be respected and their consent sought when it comes to the diversion of forest land. Their livelihoods and dependence on forests should be considered in decision-making processes.
Conclusion:
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 undermines forest conservation by prioritizing plantations, limiting the Act’s applicability, and expanding exemptions. Balance and indigenous rights must be upheld to protect forests and biodiversity.
