Experts discussed the impact of forest laws and judicial activism on forests in India on the second day of the ongoing 13th Silvicultural Conference at Forest Research Institute.
Raj Kishore Singh from Karnataka Biodiversity Board said that industries that are using forest produce do not reveal the source of their raw material as they are not bound to reveal it. Thus illegal extraction takes place but does not enter the forest department records.
Supreme Court environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta informed that India is the only country in the world that has a green bench in the Supreme Court. There are several legal provisions in forest management of which many forest officials are not adequately aware.
They should acquaint themselves with these aspects for effective forest conservation and to avoid mistakes. For instance, exotic plants are proscribed for plantation but forest departments are planting exotics at many places. Use of exotics may be justified from economic point of view but law at present does not allow it. He also said that there are some variations in implementation and interpretation of forest laws and acts. Court intervention is likely to increase in future so forest officials should be trained in these aspects, he added.
Dr SP Singh from FRI University, speaking on effect of ban on green felling in the Himalayas above 1000 metres altitude, said that ban on felling is good in ideology but long term ban is not in interest of forests. Pine grows naturally in vacant spaces in oak forests and if allowed to grow, pine will degrade the oak forest.
He opined that about 40 per cent forest area can be managed for conservation and the remaining area can be managed for timber production and harvest. Maharashtra PCCF RN Saxena was of the opinion that forest land settlement rules should be framed. Rules for assignment of forest area and treatment of forest crop under working plans have not yet been framed and this should also be done on priority, he added.