Forest loss in NE: Amicus Curiae suggests NGT take 'holistic' approach, setting up joint committee

New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been urged to take a "holistic" approach to tackle the alarming loss of forest cover in the northeast region.

In a report filed before the green tribunal, Amicus Curiae Dhruv Tamta suggested the formation of a joint committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Survey of India, and state forest departments to address inter-state border encroachments.

Advocate Tamta added that "protecting and expanding our forests isn’t just a policy goal; it’s about securing our future".

He called for using "satellites and AI to monitor forest health in real time" and empowering local communities through joint forest management (JFM) and eco-tourism initiatives.

The report proposed the development of a policy framework that partners with local councils to effectively manage unclassed state forests (USF), ensuring that local insights drive decision-making.

In addition, the introduction of Ecological Impact Assessments (EIA) for large-scale monoculture plantations will help safeguard biodiversity and promote responsible land use.

Further, it suggested strong audit mechanisms for compensatory afforestation projects focusing on "survival rates, native species, and ecological functionality" and promotion of agroforestry models that blend "smarter farming with healthier forests".

The Amicus Curiae concluded that conservation must be "a community effort rooted in empowerment and technology", aligning with India’s National Forest Policy target of achieving 33 per cent forest cover nationwide and 66 per cent in hilly regions.

The suo motu proceedings emanated from a news report titled "Assam’s forests shrink by 83.92 sq. km in just two years", citing the 2023 India State of Forest Report (ISFR) report, which showed that the northeastern region collectively lost 327.30 sq. km of forest cover, with Assam contributing 83.92 sq. km of that loss.

In its affidavit, the Assam government acknowledged the ISFR finding but argued that the loss was overstated, citing a decadal gain of 748.65 sq. km in forest cover since 2013. It attributed recent declines to jhum cultivation in unclassed state forests, where the Forest Department has "no administrative control", as well as to inter-state encroachment from Mizoram.

The Assam government concluded that since over 10,000 hectares of forest area cleared of encroachment are yet to regenerate, the "actual forest loss is very minimal or non-existent".

Similarly, Mizoram stated that between 2001 and 2023, its forest cover had increased from 17,494 sq. km (82.98 per cent of its geographical area) to 17,990.46 sq. km (85.34 per cent). It credited the increase to the Green Mizoram Programme, CAMPA, and the National Afforestation Programme, emphasising that forest areas lost due to development were being offset by compensatory afforestation.

--IANS

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