PRELIMS BITS
The recent amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act (FC Act) aim to update India’s forest regulations after more than four decades. The original Act, established in 1980, focused on managing forest land diversion for construction and mining. The amendments address contemporary ecological, strategic, and economic needs.
- Key Changes: The Act’s applicability will now be limited to notified forest lands and areas recorded as forests in government documents. Plantations on private and non-forest land will no longer fall under its scope.
- Strategic Projects: The amendments aim to fast-track projects of national importance, especially in border areas and regions affected by extremism. Concerns have been raised over the broad definitions of “national importance” and “national security,” potentially allowing excessive exemptions.
- State Concerns: States like Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Sikkim have raised concerns over the clarity of the amendment’s definitions and the potential environmental risks.
- Plantations and Afforestation: The amendments promote private plantations and require compensatory afforestation on non-forest or degraded lands.
- Concerns Over Interpretation: Critics warn the amendments leave too much to executive discretion, risking potential misuse and undermining forest protection efforts.