Editorial Analysis à 15 July 2022 à The Hindu
Forest Conservation Rules 2022
Various Provisions:
Establishment of Committees:
- It included an advisory council, regional empowered committees at each of the integrated regional offices, and a screening committee at the level of the State/Union Territory (UT) government.
- The role of the advisory committee is limited to providing advice or making recommendations regarding the granting of approval under the applicable sections with regard to proposals that are referred to it as well as any matter relating to the conservation of forests that is referred to it by the Central government.
Project Screening Committee:
- For a preliminary examination of plans involving the diversion of forest land, the MoEFCC has ordered the formation of a project screening committee in each state and UT.
- The five-member committee will hold meetings at least twice a month and provide time-bound project advice to the state governments.
- Any non-mining project with a size of 5 to 40 hectares must be examined within 60 days, and any mining project with the same size must be reviewed within 75 days.
- The committee is given greater time for projects covering larger areas: 150 days for mining projects and 120 days for non-mining projects involving more than 100 hectares.
Regional Empowered Committees:
- Regardless of their scope for the purpose of the survey, all linear projects (roads, highways, etc.), projects involving forest land up to 40 hectares, and those that have projected a use of forest land having a canopy density up to 0.7, shall be examined in the Integrated Regional Office.
- The applicants for diverting forest land in a hilly or mountainous state with green cover covering more than two-thirds of its geographic area or in a state/UT with forest cover covering more than one-third of its geographic area will be able to engage in compensatory afforestation in other states/UTs where the cover is less than 20%.
Indian forests:
About:
- According to the India State of Forest Report, 2021, the total area covered by trees and forests has increased from 21.67 percent in 2019 to 7,13,789 square kilometers, or 21.71 percent of the country’s total area.
- Madhya Pradesh has more forest cover per area than Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra combined.
Category:
Reserve Forests:
- The State Government creates reserve forests, which are the most limited woods, on any government-owned forest area or wasteland.
- Locals are not allowed in reserved forests unless a forest officer officially permits them during the settlement process.
Protected Forests:
- Any territory other than reserved forests may be designated by the state government as protected forests, over which it has exclusive ownership rights and the authority to establish regulations governing their usage.
- This authority has been utilized to create state control over trees whose fruit, timber, or other non-wood items have the potential to provide income.
Village Forests:
- The State Government may grant “any village community the rights of the Government to or over any area which has been constituted a reserved forest” in village forests.
Provisions of the Constitution:
- Forests, wild animal and bird protection, education, weights and measures, and the administration of justice were all moved from the State to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976.
- The State must work to safeguard the nation’s forests and wildlife as well as the environment, according to Article 48 A of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
- Every person has a fundamental obligation to preserve and enhance the natural environment, including forests and wildlife, according to Article 51 A (g) of the Constitution.
