Conservation Initiatives and Policies for Forest Protection
- To save forests and preserve ecological balance, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) established new regulations in 2022.
- These guidelines supersede previous ones from 2003.
- They concentrate on creating committees to oversee projects and carry out conservation work.
- A project screening committee reviews projects that might include the exploitation of forest land. It advises state governments on initiatives and has frequent meetings.
- The committee examines the location of proposals and verifies that they are complete.
- Review periods vary depending on the project and might be anywhere from 60 to 150 days.
- The committee comprises a district collector and a forest conservator, under the direction of a nodal officer.
- A further body called the Advisory group provides recommendations to the Central Government on matters related to forest conservation.
- By the rules, regional offices also create Regional Empowered Committees.
- Projects that require approval from regional offices must include the use of up to 40 hectares of forest area or be linear, such as roads and highways.
- Compensatory afforestation, or CA, is required when forest land is used for uses other than forest production. Companies must provide alternative land or rebuild damaged areas by reforesting them.
- The resolution of disputes about forest rights and land diversion is currently the responsibility of the states.
- In less serious circumstances, environmental regulation violations may result in fines rather than jail time.
- The Indian Penal Code addresses grave offences including causing significant harm or death.
- Penalties for infractions of the Environment Protection Act, particularly those about single-use plastic, are upheld by the regulations.
- An Environment Protection Fund will get a part of the penalties that are collected.
- The Environment Protection Act of 1986, which gives the Central Government the authority to guard the environment, stop pollution, and control industry, is one of the most significant environmental laws and regulations.
- With community involvement, the National Afforestation Programme seeks to recover damaged wood.
- Aiming to expand the amount of forest cover, the India Forest Policy of 1952 established rules for both the preservation and use of forests.
- It divided woods into four categories: Village woods, National Forests, Protection Forests, and Treelands. Each category had a distinct function.
Forest Cover of India
India is one of the rare countries that keeps track of its forests regularly using a scientific method. This helps a lot with making plans, policies, and evidence-based decisions. India’s forests are as diverse as its culture, from the tall evergreen trees in the Western Ghats to the thick jungles in the Northeast.
In this article, we’ll look into the forests of India, learning about why they’re important, what’s being done to protect them, and the problems they’re up against.
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