SC bars Centre, states from using forest land for linear projects if compensatory area not given

The Supreme Court on Monday told the Centre and the state governments that no forest land can be used for linear projects unless a compensatory area is being provided for afforestation, The Hindu reported.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and K Vinod Chandran told Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, that it would not allow the reduction of forest area.

Linear projects are those that involve repeating activities along a continuous length such as highways, tunnels, pipelines and rail construction.

The bench made the statements while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the amendments made to the Forest Conservation Act in 2023.

The Forest Conservation Amendment Act, proposing amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 that provided legislative support for conserving forest land and its resources, came into force on December 1, 2023.

Experts have claimed that the amendments were an effort to open forest land for commercial purposes.

In February 2024, the court told states and Union Territories to follow the definition of “forest” that had been mentioned in a 1996 judgement, while hearing the petitions against the Act.

The bench had ordered that until the process of identifying forest land as per new rules under the Act was completed, states and Union Territories should go by the definition of “forest” laid down by it in...

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