🧵The #Forest (#Conservation) Aamendment Act comes into force on Dec 1. There is nothing ‘conservation’ in the amended Act, it is blatantly, unapologetically a law that facilitates diversion of #forest lands & into private hands 1/n
onmanorama.com/news/kerala/20… It changes the definition of #forests, it nullifies the Supreme Court’s 1996 Godavarman judgement, removing vast swathes of forest from protective legal cover, leaving every patch of #forest vulnerable for diversion, destruction. Read this for details sanctuarynaturefoundation.org/article/a-deat…

Deathknell for #India's #forests - foundational to our survival, growth. watersheds, rain makers, #climate buffers, refuge for #wildlife, interwined with our culture, livlihood for milllions. Our national, natural #heritage
to be sold for a song 1/5
thehindu.com/sci-tech/energ… The bill limits the scope & ambit of the original FCA (1980), removing crucial safeguards from a vast majority of India's #biodiverse rich #forests, opens the floodgates for diversion for other uses.
my #twitter thread on it here: 2/5

https://twitter.com/prernabindra/status/1658165137688125446

"In March 2023 the #Forest #Conservation Amendment bill was plaed before the LokSabha. Ms Prakriti Srivastava,IFS (PCCF #Kerala) & I jointly wrote a submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, link provided at the end of the (long) thread. 1/n highlighting the imp pts:
Fundamental changes in the proposed bill:
a)Limits the scope & ambit of the original FCA (1980), removing crucial safeguards from a vast majority of India's #biodiverse rich #forests, thereby opens the floodgates for diversion for other uses
2/n

Speaking at the #PhD 3rd Year Forum @CamUniGeography @Cambridge_Uni. Main focus is #governance of #conservation related relocation in
@mytadoba #Tiger Reserve tho it considers socio-economic (v brfly #ecological) outcomes) #Wayanad #Wildlife #Sanctuary is a satellite site Grateful to my co #travellers @Krithikasampath
@SamirTadoba who made it easier & FUN! Also
@jituramgaokar @nandkishorkale1 and his incredible team @PrajaktaDH #PoonamDhanwatey. the generosity of the villagers🙏 @bhask286 for his support

With the cacophony over #Elephant #Arikomban, lets understand how such #elephants are 'made', and #conflict created. As per a #Kerala cabinet decision taken in August 2002, 559 families of landless tribals were settled on 276 ha land in #Chinnakanal during 2003. The then 1/9 DFO (#Munnar) #PrakritiSrivastava objected: it was prime #elephant habitat & corridor, the consequences would be disasterous. Within a year, human-elephant conflict had escalated. Giving pattas wily-nily w/o w/o #forest dept inputs #wildlife consideration is best avoided 2/9

I have been researching relocation of people from #ProtectedAreas - v contentious – and also v nuanced. There r many issues/problems related to it, which I hope to discuss/address in my #PhD but here I share some good practices in #Wayanad #Kerala of people moving out from 1/6 #forests outside PAs. The people apply & then are funded. Conflict with #elephants is acute. Most-not all-people esp the younger generation have aspirations for better #education, jobs etc when they move out but find themselves disadvantaged as they lived in remote #forests 2/6

So here is my @iamsrk story. As a journalist working with @TheDailyPioneer I was trying desperately to get in touch with #ShahRukhKhan for an indepth interview. It was IMPOSSIBLE and his agent/PR lady who would either not respond or kept putting me off with barely contained 1/n exasperation (i am being polite)
After patiently,politely following up for days,I lost it. as it is,doing films & running after stars wasn't my thing,I got hold of SRK's no(no guys, I don't have it now-honest.I failed to transfer it to a new phone🙄). My first few msgs went -2/n

Thread
My piece in @MongabayIndia on relocation from #Wayanad #Wildlife Sanctuary based on my @MPhilCL @Cambridge_Uni research supervised by @EliaApos Ialso drew on my yrs of experience.Resettlement from #ProtectedAreas (PA) is contentious @csandbrook 1/22
bit.ly/3bjo3V7 & I discuss a largely ignored narrative:of people seeking support for relocation.Historically,resettlements have been poorly recorded; there have been evictions from PAs that have led to penury, isolation, further impoverishment, which I strongly condemn.There is NO room 2/22

On #WorldElephantDay horrified to see this regressive unempathetic report from @MoEFCC  that fails to recognize the ecology & nature of #elephants, seeks to block their #RightOfPassage confine them to tiny slivers of #ProtectedAreas 1/n It speaks of 'restricting #elephants in their natural habitat- Restricted by way of trenches , railway fences , cement structures and this is what such 'best management' practices do . 2/n

This #leopard with a snare cutting into its flesh & bones was camera trapped on 24 Mar in Rajak, #Surhi Range, core of Achanakmar #TigerReserve #Chhattisgarh Also caught in a camtrap were #poachers 1/n
#WildlifeCrime @ntca_india ⁦@bhupeshbaghel
⁩ ⁦@CG_Police @WCCBHQ
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⁩ 4 villagers armed with bows,arrows. 2nd May: Surhi Ranger Sandeep Singh went with staff & #dog squad to Niwaskhar Village. Weapons—bows, arrows, wire trap etc with blood found, accused arrested 2/n
@ntca_india @WCCBHQ @bhupeshbaghel @WCCBHQ

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