86000 Hectares of shrub forest may be freed up for development

Read this disturbing article in the Indian Express


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e Centre has agreed in-principle to the Maharashtra government's proposal seeking release of about 86,000 hectares of land currently described as under zudpi jungle (shrub forest) in government records from forest clearance stipulations for various existing, stuck-up and proposed developmental projects.

Maharashtra has about 1.80 lakh hectares of land under zudpi jungle, entirely in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Gondia districts of Vidarbha. Any project to be undertaken there needs clearance from Union Environment Ministry under Forest Conservation Act (FCA). As a result, a number of development projects, including some irrigation projects, are stuck. The issue has been hanging fire for several years now.

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We can do our bit to save this forest, which is anyway under the Forest Protection Act. I had written to Debi Goenka at Conservation Action Trust (cat.org.in) and he said it would be nice if we could mobilize a letter campaign to the CM of MAharashtra and to Smt Jayanthi Natarajan.

Our forests (whatever remains of them) are our proud heritage and we must protect them. I urge members here at India Wilds to write to the authorities. The more letters we are able to mobilize, the louder our voice will be.