Deforestation Concerns: Odisha’s elimination of Deemed Forests sparks debate on forest protection and land usage
The Odisha government has issued a directive to district officials, stating that requests from industries to convert forest land for non-forestry purposes must adhere to the amended Forest Act. The categorization of ‘deemed forests’ will no longer be recognized. This move is expected to expedite deforestation, as around 50% of Odisha’s forest land falls under this category. The state’s interpretation contrasts with the Environment Ministry’s assurance that deemed forests would remain protected.
The amended Act defines forests clearly and removes the concept of deemed forest. Protection under the Act requires consent from the Centre and local gram panchayats for land diversion and mandates reforestation as a deterrent.
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#Odisha government removes the category of deemed forests to ease access of forest land for industries in the state. @Naveen_Odisha @CMO_Odisha https://t.co/tH3vWTocnz
— CSIS Indian States (@IndiaStatesCSIS) August 15, 2023
Expert Committees
States were required to establish expert committees to identify land falling under the forest definition, but not all complied, allowing states to define forests at their discretion. The Ministry of Environment introduced amendments to clarify forest law application and exemption conditions for lands diverted before 1996. The Environment Ministry assured a parliamentary committee that the amendments align with the 1996 Supreme Court ruling, encompassing deemed forest areas identified by state expert committees.
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Future Unclear
Since 1996, Odisha identified around 66 lakh acres as deemed forest through district-level committees, with many not officially recorded. This represents around 40-50% of the state’s forest land. The amended Forest Act may facilitate easier forest land diversion. Despite Forest Rights Act provisions, community forests and tribal land rights face uncertainty.
Odisha’s forest coverage is 33.50% of its area, but 8,000 hectares of the 19,200 hectares were nationally diverted for mining (2017-2022). The recent change again brings to light the urgent need to look at our forests and natural resources.
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