6 yrs on, Raj yet to implement SC order on deemed forests

Jaipur: Six years after the Supreme Court directed states in 2018 to identify and protect "deemed forest" lands, Rajasthan has still not fully complied, leaving ecologically sensitive areas vulnerable to degradation and encroachment. The directives stem from the long-running case ‘TN Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India & Ors.', which held that "forest" under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 includes notified forests, areas recorded as forests in govt records, and lands with forest characteristics—"deemed forests"—regardless of ownership. On Thursday, TOI reported that nearly 150 bigha of deemed forest land in Padasoli village of Bassi tehsil in Jaipur district was allegedly sold through a registry in violation of Supreme Court orders. The land is classified as "Beed" and "Banjar Beed."The delay persists despite recommendations by the Kapoor Committee in 2004 and a subsequent review by the Central Empowered Committee, both aimed at comprehensive mapping and legal recognition of forest lands in the state.The Kapoor Committee identified categories including notified forests, protected and unclassified forests, sacred groves such as Orans and Dev-Vans, Rundh lands, and other areas with forest characteristics. It set criteria for deemed forests as compact blocks of five hectares or more with at least 200 trees per hectare. It excluded plantations on non-forest lands and small fragmented groves considered difficult to manage, except Rundh in Alwar district, which was designated as Reserved Forest. The state was urged to form an expert committee with representatives from the forest department, the Arid Zone Forestry Research Institute and the Central Arid Zone Research Institute to finalise identification of arid and desert ecosystems such as grasslands, rocky outcrops and stony deserts.A senior forest official familiar with the matter said, "We are compiling the district-wise data, and Orans in the state are mostly secured. Many of these lands also include private holdings, so careful examination is important before entering litigation. We will complete the exercise."Environmentalists said the continued delay could weaken legal safeguards against deforestation and accelerate biodiversity loss. "We will take this matter to the NGT soon, as the delay is a serious ecological concern. The land use of these deemed forests is being changed on a large scale, and the SC's directives are being ignored," said green activist Rajendra Tiwari.