Karnataka activists oppose amendment of Forest Act

Activists on Monday decried the Union government's move to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 and urged members of Lok Sabha belonging to both the BJP and the opposition parties not to support the bill.

Members of the United Conservation Movement and Jana Sangrama Parishath said the amendment will be the last nail on the already-degraded forests of the country that have come under pressure from development and encroachment.

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"On the one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for protection of forests and speaks of achieving net zero emissions but his government has brought a bill that will destroy forests. We are seeing floods and droughts at the same time in different parts of the country. The government should have taken proactive measures to protect the forests," activist Joseph Hoover said.

Sagar-based activist Akhilesh Chipli said more than 9.5 lakh acres of the land identified as deemed forest will lose protection if the amendment is made to the act. "Except for the notified protected areas, no forests will be safe. The amendment will remove protection for forests near highways and railway lines," he said.

The activists cited the historic ruling by the Supreme Court in the Godavarman case that all forests enjoy protection regardless of their legal status and said the government would do well to protect such areas rather than destroying the existing forests.