Forest classification only after state polls

NEW DELHI: The Government has deferred a meeting of a group of ministers that will classify forests into ‘go’ and ‘no go’ areas. The GoM will meet only after assembly elections to five states end in May as the Government seems reluctant to take decisions on contentious issues before the polls.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh was expected to address concerns articulated by infrastructure ministries at the group’s first meeting in January. The 12-member ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, aims to find a balance between the imperatives of growth and ecological security.

While the GoM originated with the Coal Ministry objecting to the classification of forest areas as ‘go’ and ‘no go,’ the group was broadened to include other ministries which would be affected by this classification. In forest areas classified as ‘go’, proposals for non-forest activities would be considered by the statutory body, the Forest Advisory Committee.

This is the system that this currently followed. ‘Go’ classification does not signify automatic permission but, no proposals would be entertained for projects in forest areas classified as ‘no go.’ The exercise of demarcating ‘go’ and ‘no go’ areas has only been undertaken with respect to nine coalfields in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra.

At present, 35% of mines or 351 mines in these nine blocks fall in the ‘no go’ area, while 65% of mines, or 649 mines, are in the ‘go’ area. Ministers heading infrastructure departments, led by Coal Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal, have consistently maintained that the Environment Ministry’s action would jeopardise growth.

The coal ministry has argued that the classification would adversely affect coal production to the tune of 660 million tonnes per year. This, the Power Ministry claims, would affect 1,30,000 mw of power capacity for future. Similarly, the Steel Ministry raised the issue of the large number of projects that have been stalled on account of these projects. Citing India’s growth imperative , these ministers are pushing for a regime that would give them a carte blanche to do away large sections of forests in favour of “development projects”.

This would violate the Forest Conservation Act in spirit and intent. The Environment Ministry has argued forests in the ‘no-go’ areas are rich repository of biological wealth and allowing mining in these areas would have “serious adverse effects” on forests and wildlife. It has argued that allowing mining of these easy to extract reserves will discourage investment in development and adoption of technology for more efficient extraction.

At the January meeting, Ramesh is understood have pointed out that Coal India and its subsidiaries had 200,000 hectares of all coal bearing areas at its disposal, of this 55,000 hectares was forest land. However , it had only worked upon 25% of this area.