New Delhi: On July 20, the Joint Parliamentary Committee tasked with reviewing comments on the changes proposed to the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 by the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 presented its report. The report clears all changes proposed to the Act by the Union environment ministry.The Bill had come under heavy criticism from several quarters including scientists, conservationists, and activists. One of the many reasons is that its implementation will open large tracts of forest land to different kinds of land use changes — including developmental activities such as tourism — without the need for forest clearances. Conservationists have said that the report will “unleash devastation” on India’s forests and wildlife.The Bill and the JPC’s reportThe Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha in March, was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. This goes against standard procedure: bills pertaining to the environment are usually referred to the Standing Parliamentary Committee, currently headed by former environment minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh had objected to the move to refer the FCA Amendment Bill to a JPC.The Committee received 1,309 memoranda, which were circulated to all its members (who presented four dissent notes), and also sent to the Union environment ministry for comments. The Committee also consulted 12 experts who presented their views in front of the Committee. The Committee also called for suggestions from other ministries including the Ministry of Home Affairs, it said in its report. It considered the bill clause-by-clause. The JPC tabled the 200-odd page Report in Parliament on July 20, the first day of the Monsoon Session. The Report clears all the changes suggested by the Union environment ministry as part of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023. These include issues that experts have pointed out, right from the new Preamble that the Bill proposes to introduce in the Act, to how it glosses over specifications such as the way it aims to ensure that the Godavarman judgment of 1996 will not be overridden. The Godavarman judgment is crucial as it detailed that a ‘forest’ must be defined according to its dictionary meaning, irrespective of the nature of its ownership and classification. This was woven into the FCA and states could no longer de-reserve protected forests for non-forestry use (commercial or industrial) without permission. But that will change with the amendment to this clause that the Bill proposes.‘Lets India’s citizens down’ The JPC report lets down the citizens of the country for several reasons including the fact that most comments raised by experts and citizens have not been addressed, said conservationist and journalist Prerna Singh Bindra, in a joint statement with conservationist Prakriti Srivastava. Bindra said that the report “ignores critique, genuine concerns of citizens”, and “unleashes devastation” on India’s forests and wildlife.The JPC Report on the #Forest #Conservation Bill 2023 ignores critque,genuine concerns of citzens,passes the bill as is,unleashing devastation on India’s #forests #wildlife @moefcc vapid responses expose the ministry, which has soundly abandoned its role as guardian of #forests pic.twitter.com/kH66poC4mn— prerna singh bindra 🐘🐅🐾 (@prernabindra) July 21, 2023“There are no sound answers to questions raised as to how this bill will contribute to India’s Net Zero targets – when it facilitates the destruction of ‘carbon sinks’ – ecologically rich, old-growth forests,” the duo’s statement read. “Similarly, how, pray, will the proposed Act provide for employment when it cuts at the very root of what tribals depend on forests? In an utterly bizarre interpretation of the act’s mandate is the exemption of ecotourism, zoos, and safaris from the purview of the amended FC Act, meant to provide jobs and employment for tribals while opening up more forest land for diversion?”“The JPC report has let down the citizens of the country, and future generations, and India will be poorer with the loss of its wealth of forests. No doubt this Bill, a death knell for the forests of India, and the way it is being thrust down the throat of this country is a sad, telling commentary on the future of the forests and the complete emasculation of our forest administration,” they added.
