Activists welcome SC order on recovery of forest land

Bhubaneswar: Environment and climate activists in Odisha have welcomed a recent landmark judgement of the Supreme Court, which has asked the state govt to recover all reserve forest land alienated in favour of any institution or real estate developer by the revenue department for any purpose other than afforestation.The apex court, pronouncing the verdict on May 15, also asked the state to recover the amount from such entities if the land cannot be taken back in the larger interest of the public and to use the money for afforestation on alternative land parcels. The SC has given a year's time for the state to implement the order."It is indeed a welcome step by the apex court to pass such a landmark judgement in favour of nature. Forest land in urban or rural areas should not be diverted for any kind of development project other than the forest itself," environmental activist Prafulla Samantara said.He said that following the SC verdict, the govt should come up with a comprehensive policy to ensure the protection of forest land. "Everyone has a right to nature, and climate justice should be served, especially for our future generation," he added.The SC also directed the chief secretaries of states to constitute special investigation teams for the purpose of examining whether any reserved forest land in the possession of the revenue department has been allotted to any private individual or institutions."This is a great move by the SC. In the name of development, the revenue department has allotted forest land to private as well as govt entities. It caused a huge loss to the rich biodiversity of the state. It also hampers the existence of nature," another environmentalist, Sailabala Padhi, said.Padhi, former director of the Centre for Environmental Studies, said that in urban areas like Bhubaneswar, such diversion of forest land is still rampant. "The govt should recover the land and stop the practice of allotting such reserve forest to anyone in the future," she said.The SC order said, "We directed the chief secretaries of all states and the administration of Union Territories to constitute special teams to ensure that all transfers take place within a period of one year. Needless to say, that hereinafter such land should be used only for the purpose of afforestation."Bhubaneswar: Environment and climate activists in Odisha have welcomed a recent landmark judgement of the Supreme Court, which has asked the state govt to recover all reserve forest land alienated in favour of any institution or real estate developer by the revenue department for any purpose other than afforestation.The apex court, pronouncing the verdict on May 15, also asked the state to recover the amount from such entities if the land cannot be taken back in the larger interest of the public and to use the money for afforestation on alternative land parcels. The SC has given a year's time for the state to implement the order."It is indeed a welcome step by the apex court to pass such a landmark judgement in favour of nature. Forest land in urban or rural areas should not be diverted for any kind of development project other than the forest itself," environmental activist Prafulla Samantara said.He said that following the SC verdict, the govt should come up with a comprehensive policy to ensure the protection of forest land. "Everyone has a right to nature, and climate justice should be served, especially for our future generation," he added.The SC also directed the chief secretaries of states to constitute special investigation teams for the purpose of examining whether any reserved forest land in the possession of the revenue department has been allotted to any private individual or institutions."This is a great move by the SC. In the name of development, the revenue department has allotted forest land to private as well as govt entities. It caused a huge loss to the rich biodiversity of the state. It also hampers the existence of nature," another environmentalist, Sailabala Padhi, said.Padhi, former director of the Centre for Environmental Studies, said that in urban areas like Bhubaneswar, such diversion of forest land is still rampant. "The govt should recover the land and stop the practice of allotting such reserve forest to anyone in the future," she said.The SC order said, "We directed the chief secretaries of all states and the administration of Union Territories to constitute special teams to ensure that all transfers take place within a period of one year. Needless to say, that hereinafter such land should be used only for the purpose of afforestation."