Why Haryana's 'dictionary' definition of forest is debatable

HARYANA DEFINES FOREST AS PER 'DICTIONARY' MEANING; ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARGUE ARAVALLI FORESTS WILL BE EXPOSED

- HARPREET BAJWA @Chandigarh

The Haryana government's decision to go by the 'dictionary meaning' of forests has thrown open the doors to wide-ranging debates. On March 4, the Supreme Court directed all states and union territories to define what constitutes a 'forest' and commence surveys to identify forest areas in their respective jurisdictions. The order came while hearing a clutch of writ petitions that challenged the Central government's amendments to Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

On August 18, a gazette notification by the Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife department stated: "A patch of land shall be deemed to be 'forest as per dictionary meaning' if it fulfils following conditions: A minimum area of five hectares land parcels, if it is in isolation, and a minimum area of two hectares, if it is in contiguity with the government notified forests and it has a canopy density of 0.4 (40 per cent) or more."

The definition explicitly excludes 'all linear, compact, agro-forestry plantations and orchards situated outside the government notified forests from the scope of forest.

Environmentalists argue this definition could exclude most of the state's remaining Aravalli forests from the protective embrace of the Forest (Conservation) Act as small patches of forests, hillocks with low density vegetation, scrublands, grasslands and community common lands will not be considered 'forest' anymore.

What next?