New Delhi: The Lok Sabha has passed the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will exempt land within 100km of border that is needed for “security projects”, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation, from the purview of the forest conservation laws.
The Bill was passed after a brief debate in the lower house of the parliament, before the session was adjourned for the day amid continued protests by opposition members over violence in Manipur.
The Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, requires entities to seek prior permission of the union government for de-reservation of forest land and for use of forest land for other purposes. The government’s permission is also needed to lease forest land to private entities.
The government before tabling the Bill claimed that new environmental issues and political priorities call for legal changes. These priorities, according to the minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, include reaching net-zero emissions by 2070, as he stated when the bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha earlier this year.
Additionally, given the security situation in the area, the Bill sheds light on strategic and security-related projects to secure construction of essential infrastructure, particularly near international borders and in areas vulnerable to left-wing extremism.
The government argued that it was necessary to provide access to important arterial highways, other public utilities, and minor establishments and habitations along public roadways and railway lines. To prevent legal challenges, the bill also provides necessary provisions to protect biodiversity, expand forest cover, and offer some clarifications.
However, several state governments and civil societies have expressed reservations about the Bill, saying it contravenes the Supreme Court’s 1996 judgment on preventing deforestation.
Others have argued that using forest land for national-security projects and giving exemptions for other projects, including zoos, may impact flora and fauna in those areas.
