‘Village growth will slow down’

The Supreme Court order is definitely going to affect the development works, believes Manshi Asher of Himdhara, Environment Research and Action Collective. The gram sabhas have the right to provide consent to diversion of less than 1 hectare of forest land for 13 types of development activities. 

In recent times, she says, nearly 1,900 cases of forest diversion have been approved. Diversions under FRA cannot be compared to the large-scale diversions taking place under the FRA.

Therefore, the SC seems to be barking up the wrong tree by halting this kind of diversion — as it will affect the village development activities. 

The diversions under FCA are for large projects involving large-scale tree felling. As of 2015, close to 12,000 hectares have been diverted in the state towards these activities since 1980. Of these, nearly 8,200 hectares of the diversion was for hydropower, transmission lines and mining projects.

There have been cases where more trees have been axed than shown in the initial forest clearance granted.  In the case of the under construction Tidong-I hydropower project in Kinnaur, the forest departments’ own documentation (Forest Department Damage Report) admits that, “an additional 4,851 trees as, likely to be damaged during execution of work (road to power house) in addition to the already sanctioned 1,261 trees in the forest clearance”.

— Pratibha Chauhan