The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill-2023 was approved by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, despite the concerns of experts. The Bill intends to allow the construction of zoos, safaris, and eco-tourism facilities in forested regions and to exclude territory within 100 km of India’s borders from the application of conservation regulations.
Source: Business Today
Nearly 400 ecologists, biologists, and naturalists wrote the Environment Minister and MPs last week to request that the Bill not be brought up during the Monsoon Session. They had argued that the legislation will simply expedite the collapse of India’s natural forests by pointing to the disastrous effects of climate change and environmental degradation.
The Union Government has declared that all exemptions will be subject to restrictions and conditions, including compensatory afforestation and mitigation strategies, in an effort to soothe their concerns. According to experts, clearing forest land for important national infrastructure projects, zoos, ecotourism, and reconnaissance surveys may have a negative impact on the forest cover and animals. The Aravalli mountains, which have not yet been designated as considered forests in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, or Delhi, are also being viewed as potentially threatened by several aspects of the Bill.
Source: Study IQ IAS
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change’s admission that just 36% of the funds distributed nationwide under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund over the previous five years have been used is equally alarming. Fund utilisation for the National Mission for Green India, which aims to preserve, improve, and expand India’s forest cover, has been a modest 55%. The new Bill can make things worse and end up being ineffective. Priority should be given to reviewing its controversial parts.
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