The hornets’ nests in the Forest Amendment Bill
1 year, 4 months ago

The hornets’ nests in the Forest Amendment Bill

The Hindu  

The Lok Sabha passed the Forest Amendment Bill, 2023, on July 26, with no substantive changes from the original version introduced in March. The problem areas The Forest Conservation Act of 1980, which this Bill aims to amend, admittedly and justifiably adopted a rather protectionist stance which made forest clearances time consuming and costly to obtain. Three points that emerge from the Bill have caused considerable consternation among environmental experts: the narrowed definition of forests under its scope; the exclusion of significant tracts of forest areas; and the granting of sanction to additional activities that were regulated earlier. Editorial | Green washing: On amendments and the Forest Amendment Bill, 2023 The Bill will significantly restrict the application of the landmark Godavarman judgment of 1996 which had extended the scope of the 1980 Act to the dictionary meaning of ‘forest’ — that is, areas with trees rather than just areas legally notified as forest. Second, the Bill excludes some of India’s most fragile ecosystems as it removes the need for forest clearances for security-related infrastructure up to 100 km of the international borders.

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History of this topic

​Canary in the canopy: on the India State of Forest Report 2023
18 hours, 39 minutes ago

​Canary in the canopy: on the India State of Forest Report 2023

The Hindu  

Through history, forests for humans have been sites of shelter, food, livelihoods, protection, and strength of spirit. According to the new India State of Forest Report 2023, 25% of India’s land is covered by forests or trees, on its face a healthy figure and a step closer to the National Forest Policy’s prescriptions. Post-Independence, India’s forest governance has been typified …

Bengaluru sees 0.59% rise in forest cover, ranks among India’s greenest metros: Report
1 day, 2 hours ago

Bengaluru sees 0.59% rise in forest cover, ranks among India’s greenest metros: Report

Hindustan Times  

Bengaluru has witnessed a notable rise in its forest cover, according to the India State of Forest Report 2023, which highlights a 0.59 per cent increase from the previous evaluation in 2021. As reported by Bangalore Mirror, the city’s total forest cover now spans 89.61 square kilometers, positioning it among India’s greenest metropolitan areas, following Delhi and Mumbai. Karnataka’s forest …

1 year on, FSI yet to release the crucial State of Forest report
4 months, 4 weeks ago

1 year on, FSI yet to release the crucial State of Forest report

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi Last year, 11 retired government officials, including some from the forest and environment departments and two environmental activists challenged the new amendment in the Supreme Court. Experts said the State of the Forest reports need to give accurate details of “unclassed” or “deemed” forests in each district as per the state expert committee reports, something which has not …

Urgent need to halt deforestation, check further land degradation by 2030: UN forum on forests
7 months, 1 week ago

Urgent need to halt deforestation, check further land degradation by 2030: UN forum on forests

Hindustan Times  

There is an urgent need to quickly halt deforestation and prevent further land degradation by 2030 for the world to stay on the path of sustainable development, the UN Forum on Forests said in a declaration at the conclusion of its 19th session on Friday. The declaration, which yet to be released, also reaffirmed the UN Strategic Plan for Forests …

Chunk of India’s forests ‘missing’ after 27-year-delay to file reports | Analysis
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Chunk of India’s forests ‘missing’ after 27-year-delay to file reports | Analysis

The Hindu  

In compliance with a February 19, 2024, Supreme Court order, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change uploaded the various State Expert Committee reports on its website earlier in April. A key concern in the petition was that the status of unclassed forests, which were to be identified by the state SEC reports, wasn’t known or if they had …

Forest Rights recognition major issue in 153 LS constituencies, says analysis
8 months, 1 week ago

Forest Rights recognition major issue in 153 LS constituencies, says analysis

Hindustan Times  

There are around 153 parliamentary constituencies where recognition of individual and community forest rights is among the major issues facing voters, a new analysis has found. Building upon a similar exercise conducted in 2019, independent forest rights researchers released an analysis on Friday which assess the potential of the Forest Rights Act 2006 in advancing the rights of tribal and …

But first, what is a forest? This definition will determine our future
9 months, 3 weeks ago

But first, what is a forest? This definition will determine our future

Hindustan Times  

A buzz has erupted across the country once again over the definition of what constitutes a forest, in light of the recent interim order by a Supreme Court bench presided over by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud on February 19, 2024. The amendment removed from the purview of the Forest Act, 1980 all those forests which were not …

Forest rights concerns could influence electoral results in nearly a third of constituencies, says study
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Forest rights concerns could influence electoral results in nearly a third of constituencies, says study

The Hindu  

The electoral outcome in nearly three in ten of India’s Parliamentary constituencies could be influenced by issues surrounding the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, says an analysis by independent researchers. The Forest Rights Act, officially known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006, is a piece of legislation that enables tribal communities and forest-dwelling citizens …

Several rules issued in past 2 years to streamline forest clearance: Govt
1 year ago

Several rules issued in past 2 years to streamline forest clearance: Govt

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: An increase in the number of protected areas, the cheetah translocation project, and India’s commitment to meeting its climate commitments are among the substantive achievements listed by the union environment ministry. A new forest bill, enhanced wetland-protection, an increase in the number of protected areas, the cheetah translocation project, and India’s commitment to meeting its climate commitments -- …

Community rights and forest conservation | Explained
1 year, 1 month ago

Community rights and forest conservation | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Forest Conservation Amendment Act of 2023 has received limited attention and little discussion about its impact on forests and its inhabitants. From the colonial forest law in 1865 to the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, 2023, more than fifteen laws, Acts, and policies have been formulated interlinking forests with legal and policy frameworks. It is in …

Former Civil Servants Challenge 2023 Amendments To Forest Conservation Act; Supreme Court Seeks Centre's Response
1 year, 2 months ago

Former Civil Servants Challenge 2023 Amendments To Forest Conservation Act; Supreme Court Seeks Centre's Response

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a plea challenging the constitutionality of the recent amendments to the Forest Act. The petitioners have contested the constitutionality of the Forest Amendment Act, 2023, citing concerns that the new law would significantly undermine the country’s long-standing forest governance framework. The petition states – “In the order, the court held that the …

Explained | How the amended Forest (Conservation) Act imperils the Northeast
1 year, 3 months ago

Explained | How the amended Forest (Conservation) Act imperils the Northeast

The Hindu  

On August 22, the Mizoram Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Forest Amendment Act, 2023, “to protect the rights and interest of the people of Mizoram”. FCA exists to deforest the forest, under the Indian Forest Act 1927 or its State versions.In 1996, the Supreme Court expanded the term “forest land” in the FCA in the Godavarman case to …

Ecologists fear Amendments to Forest Conservation Act will leave it a hollow shell
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecologists fear Amendments to Forest Conservation Act will leave it a hollow shell

The Hindu  

The recent Forest Conservation Amendment Bill will leave the Forest Act a hollowed-out shell, said Dr. Sharachchandra Lele, distinguished fellow at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru. The much-diluted bill also removes the need for clearance permissions and consent of the local community to strip forest lands alongside railway tracks or public roads, or for the …

Modi government’s new environmental laws a threat to India’s biodiversity and forests
1 year, 4 months ago

Modi government’s new environmental laws a threat to India’s biodiversity and forests

The Hindu  

They could open up precious forest resources to the exploitation of private companies. Key changes in BDA, FCA In the case of the BDA, criminal prosecution of violators has been done away with, which is likely to encourage biopiracy; the National Biodiversity Authority, which was originally established as an autonomous regulator, is now a body consisting of 16 Central government …

Parliament Passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
1 year, 4 months ago

Parliament Passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023

Live Law  

After the judgment, the Act was applied to recorded forest areas, including those already used for non-forestry purposes. Godavarman vs. Union of India and others, the Forest Act only applied to notified forest lands, not revenue forest areas and non-forestry use in the revenue forest areas was allowed through government's permissions. These include land notified as a forest under the …

Explained | What will the amended Forest (Conservation) Act change?
1 year, 4 months ago

Explained | What will the amended Forest (Conservation) Act change?

The Hindu  

August 01, 2023 07:01 pm | Updated August 04, 2023 10:27 am IST - Bengaluru The highly controversial Forest Amendment Bill 2023 is awaiting debate in the Rajya Sabha after having been passed by the Lok Sabha with almost no debate in June. It stipulates that only those lands that were notified as ‘forest’ under the Indian Forest Act 1927, …

Strike a balance on forest laws
1 year, 4 months ago

Strike a balance on forest laws

Hindustan Times  

What is a forest? Land that was recorded as a forest in any government record, as on or after October 25, 1980 – the day the original forest conservation act came into effect – except where land use was changed from forest to non-forest purpose before December 12, 1996 will also be covered. A report by Vidhi Centre for Legal …

What Forest Conservation Bill Means for Strategic Projects & Will it Ease Land Clearance - News18
1 year, 4 months ago

What Forest Conservation Bill Means for Strategic Projects & Will it Ease Land Clearance - News18

News 18  

Parliament is the temple of democracy and parliamentary procedures the rites by which the will of the people is translated into practice. The legislation exempts certain types of land from the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act like forest land along the international border, a rail line or a public road and to be diverted for strategic projects, amenities and …

Adding green cover or a threat? The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, explained
1 year, 4 months ago

Adding green cover or a threat? The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, explained

Firstpost  

The Lok Sabha has passed the Forest Amendment Bill-2023. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, “The primary objective of this Bill is to increase the forest area of the country to meet our goals of conservation of forests, conservation of biodiversity and the challenges posed by climate change… That is why we have decided to drop …

Forest Conservation Amendment Bill gets Lok Sabha nod: Know about the bill and its main features
1 year, 4 months ago

Forest Conservation Amendment Bill gets Lok Sabha nod: Know about the bill and its main features

India TV News  

On the fifth day of the ongoing Parliament Monsoon Session, the Lok Sabha passed the Forest Amendment Bill 2023 on Wednesday. Key Features: Land under the ambit of the Act The Bill specifies that two types of land will be under the purview of the Act: land designated as a forest under the Indian Forest Act of 1927 or under …

Lok Sabha passes Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill
1 year, 4 months ago

Lok Sabha passes Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill

The Hindu  

Amidst pandemonium, the Lok Sabha passed the Forest Conservation Bill on July 26, without any changes from the version first introduced on March 29. Editorial | Green washing: On amendments and the Forest Amendment Bill, 2023 The amendments made by the Bill now passed by the Lok Sabha include clauses that specify the types of land where the original Act …

Science-wise: Govt’s Proposed Environment Bill, Threat to India’s Natural Forest Cover or Need of the Hour?
1 year, 4 months ago

Science-wise: Govt’s Proposed Environment Bill, Threat to India’s Natural Forest Cover or Need of the Hour?

News 18  

Even as the country grapples with fast-disappearing green cover, a new draft legislation could pave the way for more such diversions of forest land for other activities. In line with that objective, the draft bill may open up the country’s forest land for diversion as it exempts forest land within 100 kms of India’s national borders from the purview of …

A Look At The Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023
1 year, 5 months ago

A Look At The Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Live Law  

The Forest Conservation Bill, 2023 will be presented during the Monsoon session of the Parliament which is likely to begin today. The Forest Act, 1980 came into force on 25th October 1980 which was enacted for the conservation of forests by restricting de-reservation of forest and forest land for non-forest purposes. Section 2 and 3 of the act states that …

Explained | Why is there a controversy on the forest Bill?
1 year, 5 months ago

Explained | Why is there a controversy on the forest Bill?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Forest Amendment Bill, 2023 is likely to be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament which is slated to begin from July 20. The amendments also say that the Act would only apply to lands notified in, any government record, as ‘forest’ on or after 1980. Editorial | Green washing: On amendments and the Forest …

Green washing: The Hindu Editorial on amendments and the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
1 year, 5 months ago

Green washing: The Hindu Editorial on amendments and the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023

The Hindu  

The Forest Amendment Bill, 2023, that is being deliberated upon by a Joint Committee of Parliament, is a contentious piece of legislation that signals the complex challenges involved in balancing industrial development and the conservation of forests. The existing Forest Act, 1980 — in the Environment Ministry’s reckoning — was insufficient for these ends, as it did not incentivise private …

Six Opposition members file dissent notes on Forest Conservation Bill
1 year, 5 months ago

Six Opposition members file dissent notes on Forest Conservation Bill

The Hindu  

At least six out of the 31 members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Forest Amendment Bill, have filed dissent notes, raising an alarm over exemptions extended to significant tracts of land in the draft legislation, even as the panel cleared the controversial Bill without proposing any changes. Both the Congress and Trinamool members have raised objections to amendment that …

New forest bill must strike a fine balance
1 year, 5 months ago

New forest bill must strike a fine balance

Hindustan Times  

Among the most important bills likely to be tabled in Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session is the Forest Amendment Bill, 2023. And if the developments in the joint parliamentary committee scrutinising the draft legislation are any clue, then it is likely to be contentious as well. This newspaper reported that the panel is likely to finalise its report on …

Objections overruled, Forest Bill goes to House unchanged
1 year, 5 months ago

Objections overruled, Forest Bill goes to House unchanged

The Hindu  

A Parliamentary committee, set up to examine controversial proposed amendments to the Forest Act, 1980, has endorsed the amendment Bill in its entirety. Touching a raw nerve The proposed amendments to the Forest Act, 1980 have attracted objections on various grounds: ‘Dilution’ of the Supreme Court’s 1996 judgment in the Godavarman case that extended protection to wide tracts of forests, …

New forest laws and ‘development’ push: A prelude to a ‘land grab’ in India’s north-east?
1 year, 6 months ago

New forest laws and ‘development’ push: A prelude to a ‘land grab’ in India’s north-east?

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 02, 2023 16:16 IST - 10 MINS READ The eviction in March of tribal people living in the foothills of Manipur from their traditional forest lands on the grounds that these are “reserve forests” and the conflagration that soon ensued may have more to it than meets the eye. Several factors point to this, including the introduction …

Satire | Greening India: some suggestions to improve the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
1 year, 6 months ago

Satire | Greening India: some suggestions to improve the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023

The Hindu  

I have a very old and very special relationship with the environment. I also like the Bill’s approach of replacing forests, which often contain forest-dwelling communities, with pure ‘green cover’ sans communities. Why should the nation miss out on all the goodies that forests offer, such as mining projects, wind energy farms, seven-star tourist resorts, eleven-star luxury villas, and fourteen-star …

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 | Jungle book vs rule book
1 year, 6 months ago

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 | Jungle book vs rule book

The Hindu  

In the preamble to the Forest Amendment Bill, 2023, introduced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Lok Sabha on March 29, it is stated that the importance of forests must be realised to achieve India’s target of Net Zero Emission by 2070 and to maintain or enhance the forest carbon stocks through ecologically balanced sustainable …

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023: Does it aim for climate mitigation at the expense of biodiversity, forest rights? | In Focus podcast
1 year, 7 months ago

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023: Does it aim for climate mitigation at the expense of biodiversity, forest rights? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

The Central government introduced the Forest Amendment Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha on March 29th this year. Generally speaking, the Bill exempts certain types of forest land from the protection afforded by the Act. The government has also not inspired much confidence regarding its intentions by sending the Bill to a Select committee of Parliament instead of referring it …

Analysis | Why has the creation of eco-sensitive zones provoked protests?
1 year, 11 months ago

Analysis | Why has the creation of eco-sensitive zones provoked protests?

The Hindu  

Ecologically sensitive zones are intended to protect ‘protected areas’ – national parks and wildlife sanctuaries – by transitioning from an area of lower protection to an area of higher protection. Protected areas cover 5.26% of India’s land area as 108 national parks and 564 wildlife sanctuaries. The ESZs span notified forests outside protected areas, most of which could also come …

Is the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill a missed opportunity? | In Focus podcast
2 years ago

Is the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill a missed opportunity? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

The Rajya Sabha passed the Wildlife Protection Bill, 2021 earlier this month. The Bill, which amends the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, has been justified on the grounds that it was needed to implement provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, to which India is a signatory. It has also been criticised for …

A conservation Bill that endangers forest rights
2 years ago

A conservation Bill that endangers forest rights

The Hindu  

The expeditious passage of the Wild Life Amendment Bill, 2021 in the Rajya Sabha this winter session — this followed its passing in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session — needs comment. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 has safeguarded numerous species of wild animals and plants by prohibiting all forms of hunting and, more importantly, creating inviolate areas where …

Centre overhauls process to grant clearances for projects on forest land
2 years, 3 months ago

Centre overhauls process to grant clearances for projects on forest land

Hindustan Times  

The Union environment ministry has overhauled the process to grant clearances to projects requiring forest diversions under the Forest Conservation Rules 2022, officials familiar with the matter said. The Forest Conservation Rules 2022, which was notified in June 28, seeks to replace forest conservation rules 2003 and make the process of granting forest clearance efficient. In a letter to all …

Jairam Ramesh opposes provisions of Wildlife Bill passed in Lok Sabha
2 years, 4 months ago

Jairam Ramesh opposes provisions of Wildlife Bill passed in Lok Sabha

The Hindu  

A week since the Lok Sabha passed the Wildlife Bill, Jairam Ramesh, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Wildlife and Climate Change has objected to provisions of the Bill. The approved Bill allows the “transfer and transport…for a religious or any other purpose” of captured elephants—a deviation Mr. Ramesh alleged—from the Committee’s recommendation that they be allowed only for temple elephants. …

The proposed Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 might be disastrous for forest dwellers
2 years, 5 months ago

The proposed Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 might be disastrous for forest dwellers

The Hindu  

Published : Jul 24, 2022 18:00 IST Existing forest laws in India largely put the state in charge of environmental protection, which tends to create an imbalance of power between vulnerable forest-dwelling communities and the authorities. The new rules will allow private developers to clear forest land for compensatory afforestation and development and infrastructure projects without the prior consent of …

The debate around the Forest Conservation Rules
2 years, 5 months ago

The debate around the Forest Conservation Rules

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party sparred earlier this week on the latest version of the Forest Conservation Rules. THE GIST Forest Conservation Rules prescribe the procedure to be followed for forest land to be diverted for non-forestry uses such as road construction, and highway development. Prior to the updated rules, state bodies would forward …

Withdraw new forest rules: Congress
2 years, 5 months ago

Withdraw new forest rules: Congress

The Hindu  

Alleging that the new forest conservation rules “violate” the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the Congress on Wednesday wrote to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to urge the Centre to withdraw them in public interest. In a letter to NCST chairperson Harsh Chouhan, All India Congress Committee national coordinator for SC, ST, OBC and Minority departments, K. Raju, said the …

Explained: The government's new forest rules and Congress' reservation about them
2 years, 5 months ago

Explained: The government's new forest rules and Congress' reservation about them

Firstpost  

The Congress has alleged that the Centre’s new rules will infringe upon the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which will allow cutting of trees without the consent of forest-dwellers. Senior party leaders alleged that the Narendra Modi government is abdicating its responsibility towards protecting tribal rights and diluting the rules for the “ease of snatching forest land”. If …

Congress, BJP spar over new forest conservation rules
2 years, 5 months ago

Congress, BJP spar over new forest conservation rules

The Hindu  

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh on Sunday engaged in war of words on Twitter on provisions of the Forest Rules, 2022. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, along with a 2009 government order, makes it mandatory to seek “free, prior and informed consent” of families who would be affected by such diversion of forest land, Mr. …

Govt directs formation of screening panel to review diversion of forest lands
2 years, 5 months ago

Govt directs formation of screening panel to review diversion of forest lands

Hindustan Times  

The environment ministry has directed the constitution of a project screening committee in each state/UT for an initial review proposals involving diversion of forest land, according to the Forest Rules, 2022, notified on Tuesday. “This is a new concept that has been introduced to reduce the time taken in appraising projects involving forest land. The other significant change introduced in …

Looking beyond the Forest Rights Act
3 years ago

Looking beyond the Forest Rights Act

The Hindu  

The Forest Rights Act has been in existence for 15 years. Further, various welfare and developmental schemes of the Rural Department were not extended everywhere to the tribal people who received documents of land possession under the FRA despite the directives issued by the Ministry to treat them on a par with others. In these places, most Central and State …

Bill in Lok Sabha seeks changes in wildlife protection act
3 years ago

Bill in Lok Sabha seeks changes in wildlife protection act

Hindustan Times  

A bill which seeks to amend the Wild Life Act, 1972 for better implementation of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. The Wildlife Protection Amendment bill 2021 was introduced by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav amid din created by the Opposition over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence issue. …

The tragedy of conservation
3 years, 11 months ago

The tragedy of conservation

The Hindu  

In 2012, 39 areas covering national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and reserved forests in the Western Ghats were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Comment | The taproot of conservation justice Against the backdrop of the enactment of the Forest Rights Act of 2006 in India and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People in 2007 by the United …

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