Thread
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Fundamentally altering forest governance in India, the FCAA, 2023 subverts two landmark Supreme Court judgments: T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs Union Of India & Ors. of 1996 & Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd. Vs Union of India and Ors., of 2011.
frontline.thehindu.com/environment/th… 2/
In the Godavarman judgment, the Supreme Court directed States to identify all unclassified forest areas that meet dictionary definition of forests & set up State Expert Committees (SECs) to carry out the exercise. The data from the SEC reports is crucial for citizens.

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The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has asked the MoEFCC to put on hold the new FC Rules notified in June.
The communication has been sent by NCST Chairperson Harsh Chouhan to environment minister, Bhupendra Yadav.
#FCRules2022
sabrangindia.in/article/put-an… 2/
The panel chief, in his detailed communication, has also asked the government to "reinstate, strengthen & strictly monitor" the implementation of Rules 2017 to grant the #FRA2006 rights to STs & other traditional forest dwellers (OTFDs) on forest land proposed for diversion.

Projects into considerations:
1. A proposal for a #golf course and resort in the #ecosensitive zone of Keibul Lamjao National Park in #Manipur
2. Denotification of 292.39 ha revenue land from National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary in #MadhyaPradesh
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hindustantimes.com/india-news/nat… 3. In the Western Ghats region, there is a proposal to divert 7.8991 ha of land from default #ecosensitive zone (ESZ) or 10km radius around #Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary for a stone crushing unit in #Kerala s Kozhikode district at a distance of only 2.56 kms from the sanctuary. 2/5

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MoEFCC has directed the constitution of a project screening committee in each state/UT for an initial review proposals involving diversion of #forest land, according to the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022, notified on Tuesday. 1/6
@jayashreenandi

hindustantimes.com/india-news/gov… The five-member committee will meet at least twice every month and will advise the state governments on projects in a time bound manner, the rules state. 2/6

In the follow up to the #ParisAgreement – UNCC Conference Glasgow (2021), #India did not sign the #Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use. It has been endorsed by 141 countries covering over 90% of forests in the world. 1/5

A thread @TheLeaflet_in

theleaflet.in/india-will-fai… The declaration aims to halt & reverse forest loss by 2030. Beyond its role in #mitigating climate change, forests also conservatively support the livelihood of 275 million (27.5 crore) people, and have one of the world’s most important #biodiversity hotspots. 2n
#ClimateJustice

The Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA) chairman Alex Ozhukayil said that around 20 towns and 1 lakh families in the State will be affected, according to a report by @NewIndianXpress . 1/5

newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/… If 1km of #ESZ is demarcated from Wildlife Sanctuaries' boundaries (Kerala has 8 lakh acres+); around 4 lakh acres of human settlements, including farmlands, would come within that purview and that would be a matter of sheer survival of lakhs of people. 2n
outlookindia.com/national/why-e…

On June 3, the #SupremeCourt directed that every protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary in the country should have a minimum 1 km eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), from their demarcated boundaries. 1/6

#FRA2006 #ecosensitivezone

thenewsminute.com/article/sc-ord… A few environmentalists have welcomed the order, others found it unscientific. There were also huge protests against the verdict by farmers organisations in Kerala. The eco-sensitive zones are declared to create a “shock absorber” for the protected areas. 2n

Following revelations were shared by the #Dalit #Adivasi and EBC communities at a national convention held by the All India Union of Forest Working People #AIUFWP in Delhi in August 2021, 2 years after forced social isolation.
Report by @Countercurrents
countercurrents.org/2022/05/forest… "caste still remained one of the key instruments of oppression in the remote interiors of India, especially in the feudal domain of the Hindi heartland."
#FRA2006 #UttarPradesh #Hindi #Forest #IndigenousPeoples

"The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (#ITDA) under the ST and SC Development department in the district had provisioned procurement of dry mahua flower from tribals at Rs. 32 per kg through self-help groups (SHG)." 1/4
#minorproduce #msp #FRA2006

newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/… Lakhs of tribal people across 26 blocks in the Baridpada district have been suffering losses in the last two years due to Covid restrictions. They earn a livelihood by collecting mahua flowers, but are unaware of procurement provisions by the government. 2/4

The @newsclickin report points at the arbitrary processes by the #MP government in pushing Aditya Birla Group's #diamondmining project in the dense forests of Buxwaha which has the potential to severely devastate the entire landscape. 1/n

A short thread
newsclick.in/Why-Madhya-Pra… "An expert body under the #MoEF & CC has questioned the #MadhyaPradesh government for proposing to clear forestland for the project without considering the potential impact on water availability in the drought-prone region."
An excerpt from the report, 2/n

Is the @FinMinIndia aware that CAMPA plantations have destroyed livelihoods of tribals in the past? Is it aware that CAF act allows illegal transfer of CA funds to the forest department?@PIB_India @ShashiTharoor @Jairam_Ramesh #Covid_19lockdown #CovidAndForestRights #RepealCampa The CAF Act violates FRA, PESA. Tribals can get employment and livelihoods only when CAMPA funds are transferred to the Gram Sabhas #RepealCAMPA #CovidAndForestRights @PIB_India @ShashiTharoor @AdivasisMatter @HansrajMeena #AtmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan @TribalStuff @VijooKrishnan

What @PrakashJavdekar is saying that the amendments were an unofficial exercise cooked up by forest bureaucrats and some non-government org. like @WWFINDIA - and this unofficial draft was circulated to state governments
news18.com/news/india/gov… @MundaArjun @narendramodi @PrakashJavdekar @WWFINDIA @MundaArjun @narendramodi The provision in the amendment which invited criticism was the one which allowed "forest officials to use arms against people to prevent forest offence." So a cabal of forest officers and NGOs circulate draft of a law allowing officers to shoot tribal and completely subverts FRA