New forest conservation rules will lead to grave violations of Forest Rights Act: CPI MP Viswam

Forests: Vanishing in Brazil | Heat, drought and wildfires are killing trees and breaking their ecosystems, turning forests to dry grassland - and leaving fewer trees to help absorb the CO2. In Brazil half the Amazon rainforest could turn to grassland if emissions continue to rise, the report warns. Lower emissions could limit the loss to five percent. This would have devastating consequences for biodiversity and indigenous peoples, while releasing carbon stored in trees and further driving global warming. Studies cited in the report also show the threat from high emissions to forests in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. (Representative Image)

CPI MP Binoy Viswam has written to Union Environment and Forest Minister Bhupendra Yadav over the new rules of the Forest Conservation Act, stating it will lead to "grave violations” of the Forest Rights Act.

Opposition parties have contended that the new rules will allow private developers to cut down forests without getting the consent of forest-dwellers, a change that violates a provision of the Forest Rights Act.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Forest Conservation Rules, 2022, under the Forest Conservation Act on June 28 to replace the earlier rules notified in 2003. "These new rules will only uproot whatever is left of compliance with the Forest Right Act in forest diversion under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, under which governments should seek free, prior and informed consent of forest dwellers before allowing a project on their traditional lands. This move will lead to a grave violation of the Forest Right Act since the responsibility for obtaining consent from Scheduled Tribes and other forest-dwelling communities before forests are cut is now shifted to state governments," Viswam said.

He claimed that approaching the Gram Sabha after the final approval is granted will only make its role irrelevant and the powers of the rights holders under the Forest Rights Act redundant. Viswam also alleged that the new rules will simplify and shorten the process of diverting forest land for development projects and make land availability for compensatory afforestation easier, thus "facilitating corporate looters to gain access and control of forest lands."

"Even the tribal affairs ministry had forewarned the forest ministry of the consequences of neglecting the Forest Right Act, stating that it would leave the forest approvals vulnerable to judicial review and would lead to conflict, harassment, and injustice. Given the circumstances, I request that the law be repealed immediately and that the concerns of the tribal communities and forest dwellers be protected," he said.