Forest land diversion under forest rights act is more than that for infra projects

World Environment Day Special

Maharashtra lost more forest land for agriculture than developmental projects
* Forest land diverted for developmental projects was 6,625 hectares as against 93,467 hectares diverted for agricultural purposes under distribution of forest rights

Staff Reporter

If one goes by hue and cry over utilisation of forest land, one gets an impression that more and more forest land is being lost for developmental projects. However, official data received by an NGO reveals a different picture. As per the data, Maharashtra has lost 14 times more forest land for agriculture (under distribution of forest rights) than developmental projects in six years between 2006-07 and 2011-12.

Forest Department statistics available to Satpuda Foundation has brought to fore this shocking fact. The entire forest land diverted under Forest Conservation Act for all developmental (infrastructure) projects in Maharashtra during 2005-2011 was 6,625 hectares. This much of forest land was diverted for 294 developmental projects, after approval from the Government of India.

As against this, forest land distributed to individuals as pattas for agriculture from 2006 to 2013 under Forest Rights Act was nearly 2,43,000 acres (93,467 hectares). These forest lands have been distributed to traditional forest dwellers. Compared to diversion of forest land for developmental projects, this is 14 times more than that.

Bringing this shocking fact to the notice of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Kishor Rithe, President of Satpuda Foundation, has cautioned the State Government to give a serious thought to these statistics and frame a strategy accordingly. Forest land available in the State cannot be produced and has limitations. For it to be used wisely and preserved for next generation, effective measures are needed, the NGO felt.

The NGO has requested Chief Minister to stop distribution of forest lands to individuals as the implementation process is ‘not open-ended’. Encroachments by individuals prior to December 13, 2005 have been already regularised and settled by three-tier committees set up under Forest Rights Act. Satpuda Foundation has claimed to have received several reports of fresh encroachments in the State. This need to be stopped urgently, Rithe said.

According to the NGO, Railway and road projects are a must for development of the State and forest land is needed for the same. Such public transport projects reduce use of a number of small vehicles and contribute positively to reduction in pollution. Besides, subsequent losses through accidents, traffic congestion etc are avoided. Among other  developmental initiatives, irrigation projects help farmers, people, and industry. Even most destructive mining projects help the State generate more power for domestic, agriculture, and industrial use. However, for all such developmental projects, Maharashtra has lost only 6,627 hectares of forest land between 2005 and 2011.

As far as diversion of forest land for agricultural purposes through distribution of rights to forest dwellers is concerned, Rithe has stated that such a ‘bulk clearing of forest’ may not yield positive results for the entire State. Whether this diversion will really help individual forest dwellers and other communities living in forest is a big question for Maharashtra Government, he said. How much economic benefit these individual owners will draw for themselves is a topic for further research, Rithe added.

Year-wise diversion of forest land for devpt projects ------------------------------------------------------------- 
Year          Forest land diverted     Projects
-------------------------------------------------------------
2006-07       242 ha                        50
2007-08    2,271 ha                        60
2008-09       754 ha                        44
2009-10    1,956 ha                        48
2010-11       351 ha                        34
2011-12    1,051 ha                        58
-------------------------------------------------------------
Total        6,625 ha                      294
-------------------------------------------------------------

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