The way the Centre hurried through the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill-2023 in the Lok Sabha has raised questions over its commitment to the conservation efforts. Several provisions of the bill remain contentious as the government has failed to address the concerns voiced by environmental experts. In fact, over 400 ecologists and scientists had written to the government and MPs last week, asking them not to table the bill during the monsoon session. The legislation seeks to exempt land within 100 kms of India’s borders from the purview of conservation laws and permit the setting up of projects of national importance, zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas.
Diversion of forests for the construction of roads, railway lines or projects of strategic nature near the country’s international borders would not require clearance once the bill becomes law. While national security is non-negotiable, concerns over the deregulation proposed in the bill to fast-track military projects require wide-ranging deliberations, especially because most frontier zones of the country are also among its most ecologically fragile. The primary criticism is that these amendments do not really contribute to regenerating natural forests, but rather incentivise afforestation for commercial use.
For the state like Arunachal Pradesh, this new bill will be detrimental. The new legislation seeks to redefine ‘forests’ – an attempt being viewed by experts as a prelude to opening up forest tracts for infrastructure and development work that may cause lasting damage to the environment. Loss of homes, incomes, jobs and socio-ecological futures are certainly going to happen with the repurposing of these lands.