Introduction
The long standing issue of forest land occupations for (agriculture and habitation needs) in Himachal Pradesh remains
Category: Policy Update
Submission to the Joint Committee of Parliament : FCA Amendment Bill 2023
वन संरक्षण कानून में प्रस्तावित नियम 2022– हिमालय व लोकतंत्र के लिए विनाशकारी !
प्रेस विज्ञप्ति:
वन संरक्षण कानून में प्रस्तावित
अंतर्राष्ट्रीय वन दिवस पर हिमाचल के वनों का बयान !
- हिमाचल जैसे पहाड़ी राज्य में जहां 2/3 भगौलीक क्षेत्र वन भूमि है वहां का स्थानीय समुदाय अपनी आजीविका के लिए वनों पर निर्भर हैं। कई अध्ययनों मे पाया गया है कि वन के संरक्षण और संवर्धन में वनों पर आश्रित समुदायों की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका रही है। इन्हीं बातों को ध्यान मे रखते हुए भारतीय संसद ने वन अधिकार कानून को 2006 मे पारित किया गया। इसके बावजूद भी पिछले 15 सालों में हिमाचल इस कानून के क्रियान्वयन में अन्य राज्यों से पीछे रहा जहाँ आज तक सिर्फ 169 व्यक्तिगत व सामुदायिक पट्टे दिए गये हैं | राज्य स्तरीय निगरानी समिति (SLMC) कि बैठक कि मिनट्स में कई बार ये निकल कर आया है कि लोगों द्वारा दावे न करने का अहम कारण यही है कि हिमाचल में लोगो के राइट्स सेटल हो चुके हैं | जबकि ज़मीनी स्तर पर कार्यरत सभी संस्था संगठन पिछले कई सालों से वन अधिकार समिति, SDLC व DLC के सभी सदस्यों कि कानून को लेकर ट्रेनिंग कि मांग करते आये हैं क्योंकि उनका मानना है कि लोगों में कानून कि जानकारी का अभाव और कानून से जुड़े मिथ्य ही लोगों द्वारा दावे भरे जाने के बीच सबसे बड़ा रोड़ा है | जो सूचना के अधिकार कानून, 2005 में उपलब्ध जानकारी से स्पष्ट होता है |
सूचना के अधिकार कानून, 2005 से प्राप्त 24 दिसंबर 2021 तक वन अधिकार कानून, 2006 के तहत जनजातीय विभाग द्वारा आयोजित उपमंडल स्तरीय समिति (SDLC) व जिला स्तरीय समिति (DLC) के अधिकारी व गैर अधिकारी सदस्यों के प्रशिक्षण कि जानकारी में निम्नलिखित बाते उभर कर आई हैं :-
1. हिमाचल प्रदेश में वन अधिकार कानून
‘WITHDRAW DRAFT EIA NOTIFICATION 2020’: 50+ organisations, environmentalists from Himalayan region write to Environment Ministry
Amending environmental
Himachal Pradesh HC seeks status report on solid waste management
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday sought status reports from the central and state governments on the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Hearing a PIL on “improper and unscientific dumping” of solid and toxic waste and sewage in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, a bench of Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua sought to know the status of implementation of the rules.
It directed the assistant solicitor general to file a status report on behalf of the Union ministries of urban development, agriculture, chemical and fertilisers, and new and renewable energy.
It also directed the Himachal Pradesh government to file a status report on compliance of the rules, indicating whether the state policy has been prepared; whether the amount has been allocated to all local bodies; and whether the scheme for registration of waste pickers and waste dealers has been formulated.
The high court further directed all district magistrates and commissioners within the state to file status reports as to whether they have reviewed the performance of all local bodies within their district with respect to segregation, processing, treatment and disposal of waste.
The court directed the state government to file an affidavit stating whether the landfill sites at Baddi and Barotiwala fall 100 metres away from the Sirsa river, 200 metres from habitable area, public parks and water supply wells, and 20 kilometres away from airports or airbase.
The court posted the matter for further hearing on January 8.
News Coverage
https://www.business-standard.com/…/himachal-pradesh-hc-see…
After a decade, in a first, a detailed address on Forest Rights Act 2006 in the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh
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Civil Society Groups slam Draft Forest Policy
Himachal Groups endorse the demand to withdraw current draft
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) came out with a Draft National Forest Policy, for which they had comments and suggestions from concerned citizens this month. Hundreds of civil society, forest rights and environmental groups have slammed the draft on various grounds the strongest being the thrust on ‘production forestry’ and allowing entry of private companies in forestry projects. The groups have said that while there may be a need to review the old policy of 1988, this draft undoes some very important principles that the 88 policy had put in place especially related to protection of forests and the importance of strengthening forest dependent communities and their role in this regard. This policy also will pose a threat to the implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 if read along with the earlier legislation called CAMPA which provides funds to the forest department for plantation and afforestation activities diluting the role of the Gram Sabhas under FRA 2006. Himachal Van Adhikar Manch a platform of state level groups has also condemned the draft and said that facilitating the entry of the private sector through the backdoor using the policy is highly condemn able.
To read the full submission go to
http://www.kisanswaraj.in/2018/04/10/civil-society-response-to-draft-national-forest-policy-2018/
Revised Notification on Local Area Development Fund – October 2011
The Himachal government has notified that the 1% free power to be made available for ‘local area development’ by hydropower producers would be distributed as annual cash transfers to ‘project-affected’ families.
Is it trying to buy people’s silence in the face of increasing community opposition to hydroelectric projects? Read Article