Activists seek withdrawal of FCA amendment bill 2023

CHENNAI: As the last day for sending suggestions and objections on Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2023 ends on Thursday, activists urge the government to withdraw the Bill and request the public to share their opinion on the last day.

The Bill exempts forest land along rail lines or roads from the Act and allows eco-tourism and other infrastructure developments.

G Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal said that at a time when the world is acting to protect the forest land and increase forest area, India is moving in an opposite direction. "The union government has introduced a Bill to dilute the Forest Conservation Act and allow corporate companies in the forest lands, " he said in his statement.

He added that the union government has modified the name of the Act into Hindi. "IPCC says that if the oceans and forests fail to sequester carbon that we emit from burning fossil fuels, the global temperature would have crossed 1.5 degree Celsius long ago, " he added.

As per the Act, de-reservation of forest land for non-forest purposes is restricted. The Act allows activities such as conservation, management and development of forest and wildlife in forest lands. However, the Bill, if passed, will allow zoos, safaris, ecotourism and silvicultural operations (enhancing forest growth).

The Bill also exempts forest land along railway lines or a public road maintained by the government, land situated within 100 kilometres along the international borders and land up to 10 hectares, proposed to be used for constructing security-related infrastructure and others.

Earlier, the state governments or any authority required prior approval of the central government to assign the forest land through a lease or other means to private organization. As per the Bill, such assigning can be done to any organisation subject to terms and conditions prescribed by the central government.

"The Bill also implicitly mentions permission for the technology of Extended Reach Drilling. The basis of this technology is the extraction of natural gas and oil resources thousands of feet deep under the forest from an area that does not fall within the legal definition of a forest. The natural dynamics of the forest will be completely affected by this technology, " Sundarrajan warned.

Activists also urge translation of the Bill in all 22 official languages and seek additional time to share opinions.