Amendments to the Forest Conservation Act give our green cover more teeth.

On Wednesday, while the opposition left the chamber in protest at the government’s silence about the escalating violence in Manipur, the treasury benches seized the opportunity to discreetly pass three important laws in the Rajya Sabha. The controversial Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, was one of them. Earlier, it was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha with no discussion.

The modifications to the Forest Act are likely to have a negative effect on both our efforts to combat climate change and our level of greenery.

The new bill was rushed through with humiliating haste. The amendments should have been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change when they were moved in March, but they weren’t. Perhaps it was because Jairam Ramesh, a Congressman well-known for his ‘green’ views, presided over the Standing Committee. Consequently, the bill was referred to a unique Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

The JPC received almost 1,000 comments, but it did not suggest even one adjustment. Six of the 31 JPC participants provided notes of disagreement. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs also voiced concerns. However, all of these were disregarded, and the Lok Sabha rammed it through in just 20 minutes.

The argument provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forests is a tutorial in whataboutery. The press release claims that “afforestation and the planting of trees outside of forests is not getting desired impetus” and that as a result, “creating additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent” and improving the green cover are both required.

Many forests that are eco-sensitive but have not been “notified,” like those in the Niyamgiri Hills, may no longer be protected from mining operations.

‘Linear’ infrastructure projects, such as roads and highways, are also free from requiring central government approval under the modified bill if they are constructed within 100 kilometres of a country’s border. Similarly, land near railway lines or that is needed for security reasons in dense forests can be purchased and developed without requiring any environmental clearing.

The new bill makes issues worse by granting permission to develop non-forest activities like tourism and zoos. Since they lead to a human invasion that eventually depletes woods, these have been resisted for a long time.

Approximately 200,000 sq km of woods may no longer be protected if the new measure goes into effect, according to environmental specialists’ estimates. More than 400 ecologists expressed their grave worry in a letter to the Ministry of the Environment, stating that “this is not just an Amendment but an entirely new Act.”