BENGALURU - New changes to India’s forest conservation laws that the government says will help the country create carbon sinks and tackle climate change could instead drastically increase deforestation, environment groups have warned.
But the new changes effectively redefine “forests” to exclude those not officially recognised by the government. The amendments also remove the requirement for government approval for any project related to national security within 100km of the country’s borders, signalling that security trumps environment protection in these areas.
Indigenous forest-dwelling groups say the changes ignore their legal right to deny consent to projects on forest lands. The ecologists’ letter to the Environment Minister bore this stark warning: “These natural ecosystems play a crucial role in buffering against increasingly unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change. Their loss will result in greater displacement and heightened internal security risks.”
A parliamentary committee that examined the Bill had received numerous objections, including from state governments aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.