India Lost Two Million Hectares Forest Cover
Source:The Hindu ↗
Why It Matters
Highlights the persistent gap between environmental legislation and enforcement in India. It reiterates crucial national data points regarding forest cover (the 33% target versus actuals) which frequently appear in both Prelims and Mains (GS3 Environment).
Summary
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed deep concern over the decline in India's forest cover, highlighting a loss of 20 lakh hectares over the past decade. He criticized successive State and Union governments for failing to enforce protective legislation, specifically noting the dilution of protections in the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023. Stressing the gap between current forest cover (25.17% nationally and 21.21% in Karnataka) and the required 33%, he called for robust public participation in afforestation programs like Vanamahotsava to ensure ecological balance.
Key Points
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted a loss of 20 lakh hectares of forest cover in India over the past decade, blaming successive State governments for poor law enforcement.
- Kharge emphasized that despite existing legislation like the Forest Conservation Act (1980) and the Forest Rights Act, the lack of strict implementation continues to hinder conservation.
- He criticized the current Union government regarding the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, asserting it weakens earlier protections.
- India currently maintains a forest cover of 25.17%, and Karnataka 21.21%, both falling short of the recommended 33% ecological target.
- He urged active public participation beyond political lines in afforestation drives like 'Hasiru Patha' and 'Hasiru Hejje-Kalaburagi' under the Vanamahotsava initiative.
Important Terms
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023
2023 legislation amending the 1980 Act; it exempts strategic border projects and certain security infrastructure from mandatory forest clearance.
UPSC context
GS III (Environment). Critical for analyzing the balance between national security, development, and ecological preservation.
Forest Conservation Act 1980
Landmark law requiring prior Central Government approval to divert forest land for non-forestry purposes like mining or infrastructure.
UPSC context
GS III (Environment). Foundation for forest governance questions regarding land diversion and central-state environmental jurisdiction.
Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006
Formally the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act; it recognizes land and resource rights of communities residing in forests for generations.
UPSC context
GS II/III (Governance/Social Justice). Tests knowledge of tribal empowerment and the rectification of 'historical injustices.'
Vanamahotsava
Annual one-week tree-planting festival in the first week of July, initiated by K.M. Munshi in 1950 to promote afforestation.
UPSC context
GS III (Environment). Represents community-led conservation movements and historical state initiatives to increase India's green cover.
Hasiru Patha
A Karnataka state initiative aimed at planting 3 crore saplings to push the state's forest cover toward the 33% national target.
UPSC context
GS III (State Initiatives). Relevant for case studies on regional afforestation and meeting National Forest Policy benchmarks.
Hasiru Hejje-Kalaburagi
A specific local afforestation project in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, launched to improve greenery in the drought-prone Kalyana Karnataka region.
UPSC context
GS III (Regional Ecology). Example of localized environmental restoration efforts in semi-arid zones.
Prelims Trap
"The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 applies to all biologically deemed forests regardless of classification."
The 2023 Act actually restricts protection to lands officially recorded as forest after 1980, overturning the 1996 Godavarman ruling that protected 'deemed forests'.
Static Concepts Connected
What is the difference between 'Forest Cover' and 'Tree Cover' in ISFR?
- Forest Cover: All lands > 1 hectare with a tree canopy density of >10%, irrespective of legal status or land use.
- Tree Cover: Tree patches < 1 hectare outside recorded forest areas, such as homesteads, roadsides, and urban plantations.
What is the significance of the T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad Judgment (1996)?
- Dictionary Definition: The SC ruled the Forest Conservation Act 1980 applies to all forests based on its dictionary meaning, irrespective of ownership or classification.
- Deemed Forests: It extended legal protection to 'deemed forests'—areas that look like forests ecologically but are not officially notified in government revenue records.
Cross-Topic Patterns
Border Security vs. Forest Conservation
The 100 km exemption in FCA 2023 for strategic linear projects intersects directly with border management priorities (e.g., BRO roads in Arunachal and Ladakh), blending GS-3 Environment with Security.
Diversion offsets and CAMPA funds
Diverting forests requires compensatory afforestation. The interplay between FCA amendments and the utilization of CAMPA funds is a perennial theme in CAG audits and UPSC mains.
FCA 2023 exemptions (100km border, zoo inclusions) contrasted with the 1996 Godavarman ruling is a highly probable 2026 Prelims question.
Linked PYQs · 3
Linked PYQs · 3
- 2019PrelimsGS1
Consider the following States: 1. Chhattisgarh 2. Madhya Pradesh 3. Maharashtra 4. Odisha With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?
- 2010PrelimsGS1
The approximate representation of land use classification in India is
- 2005PrelimsGS1
Consider the following statements: 1. The forest cover in India constitutes around 20% of its geographical area. Out of the total forest cover, dense forest constitutes around 40%. 2. The National Forestry Action Programme aims at bringing one third of the area of India under tree/forest cover. Which of the statements is/are correct?
