'Diversion of forest land': Why is govt scheme for wildlife habitats a cruel joke

By Shankar Sharma* 

In light of recent reports regarding the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, it has been announced that the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has successfully met its 100-day target for enhancing wildlife habitats. While the media celebrates this milestone, and the Ministry may take pride in their achievement, environmental advocates across the country have reason to approach such claims with skepticism. 

The current state of our environment, particularly wildlife habitats, raises serious concerns about the overall health of the nation’s ecosystems. Over the past two to three decades, countless instances have surfaced where forest lands, including those in legally protected areas, have been allocated for non-forestry projects. 

Reports indicate that the National Wildlife Board approved approximately 500 projects in forests and protected areas from 2014 to 2018, resulting in the loss of about 120,000 hectares of primary forest in just five years. This raises questions about the commitment of the National Board for Wildlife and the MoEF&CC to safeguard our environment and wildlife habitats. 

According to a study by the World Resources Institute, the country lost 1.6 million hectares of tree cover and 16 million trees between 2001 and 2018, with a staggering 9.4 million trees cut down in the last four years alone. The country's remaining forests and natural resources, along with public health, are at critical risk. 

Over the past six years since July 2014, India has approved more than 270 projects in and around its most protected areas, including biodiversity hotspots and national parks, while simultaneously relaxing environmental protections. This interference threatens not only habitats and ecosystems but also poses a danger to public well-being. 

Data reveals that the MoEF&CC has granted environmental clearance for 87% (2,256 out of 2,592) of proposals submitted between July 2014 and April 2020. If this trend continues, it is likely that most of the nation’s original forests, which hold immense ecological significance, will be lost within a few decades. Legally protected areas (PAs) account for only about 14% of forested land and a mere 4.61% of the total land area in India. 

Even though there has been an increase in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries since 1970, the protection these areas receive is concerning. Surveys from the mid-1980s indicated that over 65% of PAs were characterized by human settlements and resource extraction, leading to further encroachment into pristine forested areas for non-forestry uses. 

Legally protected areas account for only about 14% of forested land and a mere 4.61% of the total land area in India

Recent policy decisions exemplifying this issue include the consideration of applications to divert vast tracts of untouched land in a Karnataka sanctuary for a pumped storage power plant and a proposal for uranium mining in a tiger reserve in Telangana. 

Despite decades of development efforts resulting in a drastic reduction of PAs to less than 5% of the land area, there remains a political perception that economic development is insufficient, prompting calls for further reductions in PAs. Such actions are unlikely to benefit local communities; rather, they will most likely lead to increased disasters related to biodiversity loss. 

Highlighting the urgency of these issues, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently stated that "the battle to secure the planet's future will be won or lost in the next 18 months." 

With only 21% of the country’s total land area covered by forests and tree cover, significantly short of the national policy target of 33%, the ongoing conversion of natural forest lands for various so-called development projects presents a grim reality for committed environmentalists. The celebration of routine milestones, such as the one associated with the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, may seem like a cruel joke in this context. 

Ultimately, the true test of the Ministry’s commitment to wildlife habitat protection will be its response to calls from environmentalists in Karnataka, who are keenly awaiting a clear and lasting rejection of proposals to construct hydropower plants within three different wildlife sanctuaries that threaten to devastate thousands of acres of dense tropical forests. 

Additionally, over 20 linear project proposals in the Western Ghats, either within or adjacent to protected areas, seek to divert thousands of acres of natural forests, further underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive environmental safeguards. 

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*Power & Climate Policy Analyst. This article reflects the author’s representation to the Union Minister for Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, New Delhi, and the Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, New Delhi