Syllabus: GS-III
Subject: Environment, Ecology and Disaster Management
Topic: Forest Conservation
Issue: Forest Conservation
Context: Supreme Court’s order in pleas challenging the 2023 amendments to the Forest Conservation Act,1980.
Directions by the court:
Forest Conservation Act(FCA),1980
Enacted to regulate the extraction of forest resources and prevention of diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes.
Key Provisions:
- The Act prohibits any activity that changes the nature of forest land.
- Prior Approval: The central government’s approval is mandatory for the diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes by any state.
- Establishes a Forest Advisory Committee to advise the central government on forest conservation and related matters.
- However, the act allows minor forest produce collection and calls for compensatory afforestation in case of diversion.
T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad case 1996
- Initially the protection under FCA,1980 was accorded only to the forests recorded by the government (centre and states).
- The Supreme court in this judgement, expanded it to the dictionary meaning of forest.
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023
- Act to apply only to land recorded as forest by govt on or after 1980.
- Exemptions:
- Forest lands within 100km of international border and to be used for strategic projects of national importance.
- 5-10 hectares of land for security and defence projects.
- Provision to encourage the practice of cultivating plantations.
- Preamble amended underlining India’s commitment to achieve the target of Net Zero by 2070.
