FREE online courses on Financial Ratio Analysis - Forest Management In India
- Indian Scenario
India has a diverse ecosystem and diverse forests spread over
from North East to Western Coast and Anadman Nicobar Islands to alpine forests
of Himalayas. Table below gives the estimates of Forest cover. There are four
major categories of forests namely tropical, subtropical, temperate and alpine.
|
Total Period
|
Forest Cover
(Million Hectare)
|
% of Geographic
Area
|
% of area under
|
|
Dense Forest
|
Open Forest
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1981-83
|
64.08
|
19.5
|
-
|
-
|
|
1985-87
|
63.88
|
19.4
|
59.1
|
40.2
|
|
1987-89
|
63.94
|
19.5
|
60.2
|
39.1
|
|
1989-91
|
63.94
|
19.5
|
60.2
|
39.0
|
|
1991-93
|
63.89
|
19.4
|
60.2
|
39.0
|
|
1993-95
|
63.34
|
19.3
|
58.0
|
41.3
|
Source : State of Forest Reports, Forest Survey of India,
MEF.
There is tremendous pressure on forests with the result that
it has led to deforestation. The pressure is from agriculture so that more land
for crops becomes available. There is also pressure from industries and
irrigation projects and for urban development and of course for forest products
(timber, herbs, fodder, fuel etc.)
National Forest Policy in 1952 recommended that forest area
is to be increased to 33% of total land area of the country. This has not become
possible so far. In 1980 Forest (Conservation) Act was enacted to stop diversion
of forest areas for other purposes. The Act laid down that no State Government
or any other authority without the approval of Central Government will pass any
order directing:
(i) that any reserved forest shall cease to
be reserved.
(ii) that any forest land may be used for
non-forest purpose.
“Non forest purpose” is defined as clearing of any forest
land for any purpose other than afforestation. The Act was amended in 1988 to
stipulate that leasing of forest land to a person or any agency not owned by the
Government and clearing of trees which have grown naturally in any forest land
or for the purpose of using it for re-afforestation will require approval of
Central Government. A punitive clause has also been added in this Act. “When any
offence under this Act has been committed by any department of government, the
head of the department or person who at the time when offence was committed was
responsible shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to
be punished”.
