A CONTENTIOUS MOVE
The Forest Conservation Act (FCA) of 1980, which, as the name suggests, came into being to conserve India’s forest cover, is proposed to be amended again (after 1988 and 1996) and made less stringent with the stated objective of expanding India’s green cover. State governments and other stakeholders have a November 1 deadline to respond to the Centre’s consultative paper floated on October 1.
The stated rationale of the proposed amendments is to incentivise plantation on private land. This, it is argued, is the only feasible way for India to meet its global environmental commitments, an important one being the creation of an additional 2.5-3 billion tonnes of ‘carbon sink’ by 2030—India’s NDC (nationally determined contribution) target. Meeting this target entails expansion in the atmosphere. They are vital in mitigating global warming.)
