- Lalnunmawia Pachuau
Tun lai kan rama chai hlawh tak chu Mizoram hmasawnna hnathawhna leh Forest law insubuai thin hi a ni awm e. Hmasawnna hna han thawha project lian han kalpui dawn hi chuan dan zawm tur a awm nual a, chu’ng zinga langsar tak pakhat chu Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FC Act, 1980) kan tih te, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 kan tih te hi a ni. He’ng dan hnuaiah hian Forest Clearance (FC) leh Environmental Clearance (EC) pekchhuah thin a ni. Tunah erawh FC Act, 1980 hnuaia pekchhuah bik Forest Clearance hi han thlurbing ila, FC vanga project hmalakna khaihlak leh stay ngai hial te pawh kan lo tawng nual tawh a, National Green Tribunal-ah pawh Mizoram state-a forest issue hi an lo chai ve zak zak tawh thin.
Tun hnaiah Forest Clearance pekchhuahna atana kan dan tanchhan ber FC Act, 1980 chu siamthat (amend) niin Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 (FCAA 2023) chu Parliament-in an lo passed ta a, 1st December, 2023 atang khan hman tan (enforce) a lo ni ta a ni. FC Act 1980 hi amendment hming pu chung siin a principle leh objective thlak hlawk a ni tawh a. A nihna takah chuan Dan thar pass ang a ni mai a, Supreme Court-a Environmental Lawyer lar tak tak te chuan dan thar, ‘New Legislation’ an ti hial zawk a ni. Tichuan, danin a ken tel guidelines/rules, Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2023 pawh duang chhuakin 29th November, 2023 khan gazette Notification chhuah a ni tawh bawk a ni.
FCAA 2023 kan state-ah kan enforce thei em?
FCAA 2023 pass a nih hma, Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 (FCA Bill, 2023), a nih lai khan kan sawrkar leh kan NGO ten kan duh loh vangin kan duh lohna thu hi dated 21/10/2021 leh 6/6/2023 khan Joint Parliament Committee (JPC) hnenah vawi 2 ngawt kan zu thlen tawh a nih kha. Amaherawhchu, Parliament house pahnih Lok Sabha leh Rajya Sabha-ah pass niin President of India chuan 4th August, 2023-ah pawmpuina (assent) a pek hnuah dan puitling a lo ni ta a ni.
Tichuan, kan duh loh chunga FCAA 2023 chu an pass takah chuan India Danpui Article 371(G)-in special provision min pek angin Mizoram Legislative Assembly chuan 22nd August, 2023 khan kan adopt duh lohna (hnawlna) chu ‘official resolution’ hmangin kan lo pass tawh a ni. Hetiang a nih chuan he dan FCAA 2023 hi kan State-ah a applicable/enforceable dawn lo tihna a ni.
Hemi hma hian Article 371(G) hmang hian Indian Forest Act, 1927 siamthat tumna pawh kan lo hnawl tawh a. He Article hmang vek hian kum 2009 khan Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 hi kan adopted a ni. Amaherawhchu, kan social practice atan leh kan hnam tan him lova kan ngaih vangin kan special provision hmang vek hian kan dan adopted tawh hi Mizoram Legislative Assembly chuan ni 19/11/2019 khan hnukkir lehin kan adopted chhunzawm ta lo a ni. Kan Legislative Assembly-in a adopted loh dan FCAA 2023 hi kan hmang lui dawn em? Kan hmanglui thei rêng em tih chu ngaihtuah peih te tan ni se.
FCAA 2023 kan adopted si loh chuan Forest Clearance hi:
FCAA 2023 kan adopted si loh chuan khawi dan atangin nge Forest Clearance (FC) hi kan pek chhuah tak ang tih hi ngaihtuah a ngai ta a ni. Dan hlui FC Act, 1980 amended ni tawhin a provision leh objective tihdanglam a ni tawh a. Amendment hnawlin a Principal Act chauh kan adopt thei lo a, FCAA 2023 kan adopted duh lo a nih chuan Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2023 pawh kan hmang (enjoy) ve thei lo tihna a ni.
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2023 hnuaiah hian Forest Clearance (FC) pekchhuahna dan bilhluh a ni. Amaherawhchu, kan sawi tawh angin he FCAA 2023 hi kan Legislative Assembly-in a pawm miau loh (hnawl) vangin leh kan state-ah kan enforce ve si loh avangin tun transition period-ah hian kan hmang thei lo tihna a ni.
Godavarman Case restriction Supreme Court-in tungding leh mahse:
FCAA 2023 hnuaiah Section 1A dahlut (insert) thar a nih atangin recorded forest area chin chiang takin an lo hrilhfiah nghal a, hemi vang hian Godavarman Case pawh a dangping (restricted) ta tih pawh kan hrethiam awm e. FCAA 2023 chu Supreme Court-ah Indian Forest Service (retired) mi 13 te chuan paihthla leh turin PIL thehlutin an khing leh mek a, hetah hian Godavarman Case chungchang pawh hi an lo chai chho nghal a ni. (PIL Case detail: Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1164 of 2023- Ashok Kumar Sharma, IFS (Retd) & Ors. V. Union of India & Ors.)
Tichuan he case hi kal zelin date 19/2/2024 khan Supreme Court chuan interim order a chhuah ta a, hetah hian Godavarman Case-a forest definition ang khan la kaltlang pui tur a ni a tih rualin Rules 16 of Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2023 in a phut angin kum 1 chhungin Expert Committee ten consolidated recorded forest area peihfel vek turin order a chhuah a ni.
TN Godavarman Case hi kan la tanchhan thei em?
Godavarman Case hi Forest Conservation Act, 1980 behchhana lo piangchhuak ti ila kan sawi sual awm lo e. Forest Clearance pekchhuahna atana Case tanchhan ber a ni. Godavarman case leh FC Act hi a kalkawp tlat, lak hran theih loh a ni. FCAA 2023 leh a Principal Act (FC Act, 1980- Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980) kan adopted loh chuan Godavarman Case pawh kan va tanchhan thei chuang lo tihna a ni. Godavarman Case chu Supreme Court-in interim order chhuahin tungding mahse FCAA 2023 kan adopted miau loh vangin kan tan awmzia a nei thei hrih lo tihna a ni.
Amaherawhchu, Rules 16 of FCA Rules 2023-in a phût ang chu kum 1 chhunga lo inchingfel veka Expert Committee te kan din a, consolidated record buatsaih fel vek tura hma kan lak ve a ngai ang. Forest land leh Revenue land insubuai leh inthuah nasa (overlapping) lutuk chinfel te hi kan tih hmasak tur a ni. Forest ram leh mimal ram inthuah nasa lutuk te kan chinfel hnuah FCAA 2023 pawh hi fimkhur taka zirchianna neih hnuah kan adopt leh adopt loh tur chungchang pawh kan ngaihtuah leh thei turah ngai ila.
Chinfel ngai a va tam dawn em..
Tuna kan dinhmunah hian kan reserved forest area, dan loa luah leh hman (encroachment) hi a nasa hle a. Nikum dated 27.5.2023 Vanglaini chanchinbu chhuakah chuan Reserved Forest huamchhungah Revenue Department, VC Pass leh pass dang pekchhuak ram pass 3992 a awm thu a tarlang a. Vanglaini hian RTI zawhna chhanna chu May 31, 2023 issue-ah lo tarlang lehin hetah hian Reserved Forest huamchhunga Revenue Department-in ram a pekchhuah hi 1335 a awm tling tawh nia tarlan a ni leh bawk.
Hetih lai hian Vanglaini chanchinbu dated 31.5.2023-a kan hmuh angin Revenue Department lam chuan, “Reserved Forest area huam chhungah ram pass kan pechhuak lo” an ti ve thung. Heta tang ringawt pawh hian kan forest ram chin te, revenue ram chin te, settlement area chin te hi chinfel a ngai takzet tawh tih kan hrethiam awm e.
State kan nih hma leh hnuah pawh kan reserved forest area huam chhunga ram pekchhuah a tamzia kan hmu thiam mai awm e. Kan sawrkar kalta ten chinfel an tum ngai loh (?) hi tuna kan sawrkar thar tan pawh hian phur rit tak a nih tawh lai karah theihtawp chhuaha chinfel dan kawng dap hi chu a hun tawh takzet a ni. Tunlaia kan rama project lian thenkhat thawh theih loh a nihna chhan te hi kan inthlahdah nghawngchhuah vek a ni. Overlapping leh encroachment case kan chinfel loh chuan hmasawnna hnathawh kawngah kan la buai dawn chauh tih hi zawlnei thu anga puan lawk kher a ngai awm lo e.
Mizoram Sawrkar hian zâwnga tuar ai kan tuar thei:
Reserved area huamchhunga Revenue Department-in ram pass a pekchhuah nia sawi te hi cancel sak an nih loh emaw, Court-in an ram hi dan ni lova pek tia a nuaibo sak si loh chuan Article 300A of Indian Constitution-in a venghim tlat tih kan hriat a tha awm e. Ram neitu te hian an constitutional right veng him turin theihtawp an chhuahna kawngah hian Mizoram sawrkar lakah an lo tuan thei reng tih hi kan hriatthiam a ngai. Kan forest ram chin, demarcation area te hi kan finfiah thei a nih loh chhuan Court tuala mualpho tur chu sawrkar a ni.
Tuirial Hydel Project atanga sawrkar chetsualna kan lo tawn tawh atang pawh khan kan forest land chin leh revenue land chin te hi kan chinfel a ngaihzia kan hriatthiam a ngai. NEEPCO-in Forest Clearance atana sum tam tak, Compensatory Afforestation leh Net Present Value atan an pek laiin khami aia tam kha Mizoram sawrkar lakah ram neitu ten compensation (interest nen) an lo claim let ve chat a nih kha. Hetiang double payment pumpelh tum project implementing agency te hi kan la tawng chho fo lo ang tih a sawi theih loh. Nguntaka ngaihtuah a ngai e.
CAMPA Fund te hi kan hmang tangkai reng em?:
Central sawrkar-in FCAA 2023 an lo duanchhuah chhan zingah Godavarman Case te, North East State-a National Highways project MoRTH-in a kalpui te chu kan hre thei mai a. Hemi phêna inthup ril tak, National newpaper te pawhin an lo tarlan fo chu Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA) hman loha a awm nghêk nghûk thin hi a ni. India Today issue dated 31/3/2023-a tarlan danin kum 5 kalta chhung atana CAMPA Fund tlingkhawm Rs 51,768.76 crore atangin Rs 18,624 crore chu State/UT-ah MoEF&CC-in a pekchhuah a thu tarlan a ni. 50% aia tam daih hman loh (unutilised) in a awm tihna a ni.
CAMPA Fund awmzia chu development project-a Forest ram tihchhiat aiawha ramngaw dang (Compensatory Afforestation land) dinna tur atana project hna thawktu ten Forest Department hnena sum an chhunluh tlingkhawm hi a ni. Hetiang hi CAMPA Fund an tih chu a ni. Hetianga ramngaw dang va siam lehna tur sum hi sawrkar laipuiah hman lohin a tlingkhawm hnem ta em em a, forest ram tihchhiat compensate-na hi a nihna tur angin a kal lo nasa tih hi an thu laimu pakhat a ni. Mizoramah hian engtiang takin nge kan lo hman thin tih te pawh hi ngaihtuah chian a ngai a, kan hmang tangkai reng em? Fimkhur taka ngaihtuahin tun aia tangkai hian kan hmang thei em tih te pawh kan ngaihtuah a ngai awm e.
Tlangkawmna
Environment & Forest ngaih pawimawh a nih lai hian development kawng lo dan burna tur a ni lo tih hriat a tha awm e. Sustainable development a thlen theihna turin kan forest laws i.e., Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 te, Environment (Protection) 1986, etc., a lo piangchhuak a ni.
Kan Recorded Forest area te hi chiang taka boundary and demarcation area te kan tihfel a, overlapping case leh encroachment case te kan chinfel loh chuan kan ram chhunga Development infrastructure lo kal zel turah harsatna kan la tawk dawn chauh a ni. Chuvangin kum rei tak sawrkar kalta ten an lo chinfel duh loh leh an lo enliam mai mai hi a tak ram hmachhawna kan chinfel a hun tawh takzet a ni.