Change of forest definition-Forest conservation (amendment) Bill (FCA) 2023

Change of forest definition-Forest conservation (amendment) Bill (FCA) 2023

Subject: Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context: One of the important amendments in the FCA-2023 is altering the definition of ‘forest’ set by the Supreme Court of India in 1996. The amendment bill proposes that these have been notified as ‘forest’ according to the Indian Forest Act,1927 and plots or areas recorded as ‘forest’ in government records on or after October 25,1980.

What was the Supreme Court of India’s definition?

The Supreme Court of India called for dictionary meaning of forests in Godavarman judgement 1996, and any forest having area of 10 hectares or more  with average tree density of 200 trees per hectare were deemed as forests.

Possible fallout

A lot of forest area which earlier fell into Supreme Court definition will now be no longer considered as forests, which will make it easier for their diversion to mining activities etc as no gram sabha approval is  necessary, which was the case earlier. Ex Dongria Kondhs were able to stop mining by Vedanta group in Niyamgiri hills in 2013  because their land was forest under Supreme Court definition.