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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | FCA Amendment: No Forest For The Weary - Shreeshan V , Anushka Mohite Mahale , Moonis Ijlal

FCA Amendment: No Forest For The Weary - Shreeshan V , Anushka Mohite Mahale , Moonis Ijlal

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published Published on Aug 25, 2023   modified Modified on Aug 25, 2023

Carbon Copy

A freshly passed amendment to the Forest Conservation Act has created a stir among ecologists, parliamentarians and stakeholders. With several contentious provisions, the amendment reveals an afforestation push where rights and justice take a backseat to commercial interests.

This week, amidst a raucous monsoon session, the Indian Parliament saw the passage of several consequential pieces of legislation in quick succession. Among them was the contentious amendment to the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), which was voted into law this week—passing Lok Sabha on July 26 and Rajya Sabha on 2 August. Speaking in favour of the amendment in the Rajya Sabha, environment minister Bhupendra Yadav said that the amendment would bring development to tribals and forest-dwelling communities as he referred to new exemptions from forest clearances for public utilities.

There are several amendments proposed to the FCA that have created a stir among ecologists, Parliamentarians and stakeholders. 

To begin with, the act’s new name—‘Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam’, struck a discordant note with some. One of the objections to this new name is that it is “non-inclusive” and excludes people from the south and north-east of the country. The word “samvardhan” also raised eyebrows as it refers to development rather than conservation, which is the objective of the Act. 

The new amendment proposes the removal of forest clearances for security-related infrastructure projects that lie within 100 km of international borders. Ecologists have pointed out, in their letter to the environment ministry against the amendment, that these areas are some of the most ecologically sensitive in the country. Some of them are deserts in Ladakh, and forests in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. These form natural barriers, especially against increasingly uncertain weather patterns. In their letter, ecologists urged the government not to give up ecological security for the sake of military security. Northeastern border states Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura, and Nagaland, and others like Himachal Pradesh registered their opposition to this exemption in JPC report tabled before the Parliament.

Perhaps even more egregious to conservationists is that the amendment exempts agro-forestry plantations, zoos, safari parks, ecotourism, and certain kinds of mining from environmental clearances. Environmentalists have argued that equating zoos or safaris with forests is dangerous because while the former does promote conservation and education, it cannot replace the latter. The Supreme Court, through a judgement delivered earlier this year that stayed all construction within core areas of national parks, seems to concur with this assessment. Plantations and ecotourism, they argue, can also lead to large-scale construction that may destroy natural habitats and ecosystems. 

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Shreeshan V , Anushka Mohite Mahale , Moonis Ijlal, Carbon Copy, 4 August, 2023, https://carboncopy.info/no-forest-for-the-weary-the-new-fca-and-how-it-affects-the-custody-of-indias-carbon-sinks/


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