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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Greens blame forest cover loss on Forest Rights Act -Vijay Pinjarkar

Greens blame forest cover loss on Forest Rights Act -Vijay Pinjarkar

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published Published on Jul 10, 2014   modified Modified on Jul 10, 2014
-The Times of India


NAGPUR: With Maharashtra losing 14 sqkm forest cover due to encroachments as per the latest 'India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2013', green activists have attributed the dwindling green cover to massive encroachments on forest land done to get permanent pattas under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006.

The fact is revealed by ISFR 2013 that states that Maharashtra lost 25 sq km in 12 tribal districts since 2011. Official figures show that at the end of March 2014, titles for 2.40 lakh acres forest land were granted under the FRA. Maximum forest land has been distributed in Dhule (67,023), Gadchiroli (63,158), Nashik (26,353), Thane (24,544), Nandurbar (14,951), Chandrapur (9,426), Jalgaon (6,095), and Amravati (3938).

There were at least 2.32 lakh claims rejected at gram sabha, subdivisional and district level because they were fake, most of them made on barren forest land or by encroaching on it by cutting trees. A recent report prepared by state government titled ?Study of changes in vegetative cover and land use in forest land with claims and forest rights recognized under the FRA 2006' admits that it was a fact that people's perception about FRA seems to be oriented in a manner that promotes new encroachments with an intention of getting it regularized in future. This appears to be an extremely serious matter which should be taken cognizance of by all authorities. There are instances where forests have been cut down in order to claim it under FRA.

Apart from FRA, 68,000 hectare forest area, equivalent to two Pench tiger reserves & Mansinghdeo wildlife sanctuary, is under other encroachments. Forest officials admit community encroachments instigated by political activists was an issue. "We are trying our best to remove them by reshuffling 3 SRPF platoons in Nagpur, Thane and Dhule. We have amended the Indian Forest Act (IFA) and added abetment as an offence now. Those instigating people to encroach upon forest land will be booked," said BSK Reddy, APCCF (protection).

Reddy informed that during the last three years 2012-14 (period of FSI report) 7,407 hectares of forest land was encroached upon while the department removed encroachments from 26,905 hectares, which included old ones. "FRA is the prime reason for dwindling forest cover. This has been substantiated by the state's own report. Congress and Left parties brought FRA assuming it would get them mileage but it proved wrong. Now BJP should learn the lessons. Young voters will not accept development at the cost of forest & wildlife," said state wildlife board member Kishor Rithe.

Prafulla Bhamburkar of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) said 14 sqkm was just tip of the iceberg. "More forest area must have been lost to cross border migration. FSI even considers gardens and trees as part of forest cover. Forest is forest and it should talk of only dense, moderately dense and open forests, that come to only 37,463 sq km," Bhamburkar said.

Wildlife conservationist from Jalgaon Rajendra Nanaware said Yawal forests had become the first victim of FRA with encroachments on about 20,000 hectares.

Forest Cover Change (in Sq Km)

 2011 
2013
Very Dense Forest
8736
8720
Moderately Dense 
 20,815 20,765
 Open Forest 21,095 
 21,058
 Scrub 
 4,157 4,157
 Non-Forest 2,52,910 2,52,865

 


The Times of India, 10 July, 2014, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Environment/Flora-Fauna/Greens-blame-forest-cover-loss-on-Forest-Rights-Act/articleshow/38100533.cms


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