After three long decades, the National Forest Policy (NFP), 1988 is set for a total overhaul and the Environment Ministry released a draft of the new NFP, 2018. The draft gives a fair amount of thrust on issues of agro-forestry and relaxations in commercial plantations. The policy also retained its broad goal of having one-third of the total land area of the country under forest and tree cover and two-thirds in hills and mountain regions.
Presently, 24.39 per cent of India's land area is under forest cover, the latest India State of Forest Report revealed. But, the report showed that plantations rather than naturally regenerated forests contributed largely to the marginal one per cent rise in forest cover compared to the 2015 study.
A new regulatory mechanism in the form of National Board of Forestry, headed by the Union environment minister and state boards, to be headed by state forest minister, has been proposed in the draft NFP. These boards, it stated, would be established for ensuring "inter-sectoral convergence, simplification of procedures, conflict resolution and periodic review".
The draft NFP outlined a series of steps that the government intends to take to promote commercial plantations, agroforestry and farm forestry. The policy stated that price assurance would be given to farmers through pre-production agreements between farmers and forest based industries. The government also proposed to ease existing felling and transit regime in the country to promote cultivation, harvesting, transportation and marketing of wood. In fact, the policy even stated that agroforestry and farm forestry would be included in the national crop insurance scheme.
During the Winter Session of Parliament last year, the Centre omitted Bamboo from the definition of trees to pave the way for its cultivation on non-forest areas, felling and transit without permits.
The draft NFP put special stress on protection of biodiversity across national parks and sanctuaries and even outside these protected areas to conserve wildlife habitats, corridors and to ensure genetic continuity.
The policy identified the threats of climate change, soil and land degradation, water crisis and pollution in the environment and thus stated that there was a need for revising the national policy for sustainable forest management. The ministry hinted at amendments in existing forest laws and regulations of the country for "effective implementation" of the NFP. The Centre is currently in the process of preparing amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and has a formed an expert committee to that effect.
ONCE IN 3 DECADES
- The National Forest Policy (NFP), 1988 is set for a overhaul after three decades.
- The draft policy gives a fair amount of thrust on issues of agro-forestry and relaxations in commercial plantations.
