PERFECT 7 : AN INTRODUCTION October 2019 Issue: 02 Current Affairs : Perfect 7 SEVEN IMPORTANT ISSUES 1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VS ENVIRONMENT DEBATE : REIGNITED THROUGH AAREY FOREST Why in News? government and civic bodies do not till the Western Express Highway in believe in sustainable development. Goregaon. In a relief for green crusaders in India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, the Cutting down these trees is not The Maharashtra government has Supreme Court, on October 7, ordered just an issue of the present, it will cast argued that in the current plan for a status quo in the Aarey tree-felling its shadow on the future of Mumbai. construction of metro rail car shed, only case and directed the Maharashtra With the rate of pollution increasing 30 hectares of about 1,300 hectares government not to cut down any more throughout the country, trees and that make up the Aarey forest would be cleaned up. The only verdant green trees for a metro car shed project till plants serve as a safety blanket for the spaces left in the city of Mumbai, are the next hearing on October 21. people. A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggested that Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey. Introduction air pollution is capable of affecting the health of people. While air purifiers Definition of Forest Green crusaders and residents have cannot reach every household, the The word 'forest' has not been defined been protesting against deforestation oxygen given by trees does. Aarey in the Indian Forest Act, 1927 nor the across Mumbai. Even as their voices forests are known as the 'lungs' of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. are rising with every passing day, the Mumbai. Hence, supporters are saying government seems to have turned a The FAO (Food and Agriculture that cutting down these trees only deaf ear towards them. More protests Organization) has defined forest means depriving Mumbai of a vital as land with tree crown cover (or followed after Devendra Fadnavis, the organ that has been shielding it from equivalent stocking level) of more than Chief Minister of Maharashtra tried increasing air pollution. 10% and area of more than 0.5 hectare. to justify the move. The approval for The trees should be able to reach a cutting down the trees was given by the Background minimum height of 5 m at maturity in Tree Authority. The Mumbai Metro Rail According to data released by IQAir situ. Corporation (MMRC) had approached AirVisual and Greenpeace in March the Tree Authority to seek permission The term 'Forest Cover' as used in this year, Mumbai was the most for felling the trees to make way for a India State of Forest Report 2017 refers polluted city in Maharashtra and 27th to all lands more than one hectare in car shed which is a part of the Mumbai in India. Aarey forest, called the last area with a tree canopy of more than Metro project. lung of Mumbai, was developed as a 10%, irrespective of land use, ownership As soon as the move was milk colony for dairy development. In and legal status. It may include even announced, it caught the attention of 1977, Film City was built on a part of orchards, bamboo, palm etc and is aware citizens and environmentalists Aarey forest. A zoo has also come up on assessed through remote sensing. On who decided to stand together another part of the Aarey forest. The the other hand, the term 'Recorded against it. The decision was taken at Aarey forest is very close to the Sanjay Forest Area' or 'Forest Area' refers a time when efforts are being made Gandhi National Park. The activists to all the geographic areas recorded by governments of many countries to argue that the Aarey forest is part of as 'Forests' in government records. battle climate change. This move shows the same vegetation cover. But having Recorded forest area mainly consists clear apathy towards the environment a separate identity, the Aarey forest of Reserved Forests (RF) and Protected and is evidence of the fact that the begins from Powai and continues Forests (PF), which have been notified October 2019 A Issue-2 1 Current Affairs : Perfect 7 under the provisions of Indian Forest come at the cost of forest cover in whose land claims under FRA had been Act, 1927 or its counterpart State Acts. India. Without a watertight definition rejected – a move that could displace Besides RFs and PFs, the recorded to protect forests, more than 15,000 sq more than 1.89 million forest dwelling forest area may also include all such km of forest land has been diverted for families across India. Several state areas, which have been recorded as industrial projects over the past three governments are now re-examining forests in the revenue records or have decades. many of these claims, but forest been constituted so under any state officials in Madhya Pradesh used pellet Act or local laws. Impact of Deforestation guns against Adivasi farmers in July, The impact of forest abuse on wildlife while trying to evict them from their Is Aarey a 'Forest'? has been obvious. In July, a report on farms. One of the reasons why the Bombay the status of tigers in India found that High Court dismissed the petitions the highest decline in tiger population Can Economic Development is because the petitioners wanted has occurred in Chhattisgarh, Andhra and Environment Co-exist? Aarey to be recognised as a forest and Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Today, the main focus of the debate therefore a no-construction zone. The Jharkhand. These also happen to be is on the link between economic court pointed out that Maharashtra the states with the highest amount of development, protecting the does not have a policy that clearly forest land diverted for mining since environment, reducing poverty and defines a “forest” to begin with – a 2015. social progress. In recent years there problem faced by states across the It cannot be ignored that the has been a growing conviction that country. Aarey forest is a habitat of its own. it is possible, as well as necessary, Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog It is home to many animals and in a to address social and environmental authored the judgement and refrained way is a vital part of the ecosystem. concerns in economic development from ruling on the aspect of Aarey being Felling down these trees will deprive policies. Amartya Sen outlined a 'forest' under the Forest Conservation many animals of their shelter. Another his point of view, which perfectly Act and said that it is to be decided by repercussion of the cutting of these summarised his economic theory: it is the Supreme Court or the National trees is a probable increase in man- possible to improve the environment green Tribunal as proceedings on the animal conflict. If the animals living and reduce poverty at the same time, same issue are pending. However, In in Aarey forest are deprived of their reconciling these two goals with 2015, Stalin D of the NGO Vanshakti homes, they will eventually enter the economic development, if we also filed a petition in the National Green areas that are inhabited by humans, consider development to be freedom, Tribunal (NGT) asking that Aarey be which will put the lives of locals in fatal culture, human rights, democracy and declared a “forest”. The petition was danger. participation. dismissed in September 2018. The Adivasi and forest-dwelling Also in Amartya Sen’s opinion, Supreme Court also issued a direction communities, of course, have always economic wealth should be analysed to the State Governments to constitute borne the brunt of such encroachment together with other dimensions within one month an Expert Committee and commercial exploitation of forests. such as public health, medical to identify areas which are forests India has a long and brutal history of assistance, the presence of economic irrespective of whether they were using violence to oust traditional forest- and social inequalities, the quality so notified, recognized or classified dwellers from their homes. Despite of teaching, crime, and the quality under any law and irrespective of the the large-scale diversion of forest land of the environment. It is therefore ownership of the land. for industry, state governments tend necessary to flank the measurement of In 1996, a landmark Supreme to label Adivasis as “encroachers” on economic wealth with the evaluation Court judgement had stated that a forest land. of these other aspects of wellbeing. forest had to be understood as per The Forest Rights Act of 2006 (FRA) Environmental and development its dictionary meaning (a large tract recognises the rights of traditional policies must be combined and of land with trees) and would include forest dwellers to live and cultivate strengthened in turn. It is important all areas classified as forests in Indian on forest lands, but lakhs of Adivasi that we clearly understand the two government records. But the central claims over forest land have been major challenges that we are currently government has not yet formulated unfairly rejected in the past decade. In faced with: sustainability and poverty. a clear legal definition of forests in February, the Supreme Court ordered Modern growth theory shows not various laws – an omission that has the eviction of all forest dwellers only that environmental sustainability 2 October 2019 A Issue-2 Current Affairs : Perfect 7 is potentially compatible with positive economic growth theory integrates the plans to stop it. However, declaring economic growth but also, and effects of environmental degradation Aarey as forest may have some perhaps more importantly, that failure on social welfare and utility, medium- repercussions too.