SHIMLA: Environmental activists from Himachal Pradesh are among those vociferously opposing the draft National Forest Policy 2018 as they say it would do away with some important principles that 1988 policy had put in place. Himachal Van Adhikar Manch is one of the 150 signatories of the submission made to the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change raising objections to the serious flaws in the draft and it points out that up to 70% of Himachal is forest land.The Union ministry came out with the draft last month and invited comments and suggestions by April 14. The memorandum submitted to the ministry said that strikingly important in this draft policy was the absence of perspective and recognition that was taken in the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which sought to address the historical injustice inflicted on the adivasis (tribals) and other forest dwellers through the colonization of the forest.The Act attempted to restore the forests back to its original custodians, caretakers and dependents and put in place democratic mechanisms to govern the forests, and the draft policy does not recognize this, it added.The draft has come close on the heels of another legislation called the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPA) which has created an institutional mechanism for the utilization of funds realized in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose (development projects). The objective was to mitigate impact of diversion of such forest land for dams, mines, industries and other projects. However, the Act does not put in any safeguard for the community's to have a say in the process of utilization of the funds for activities on forest land by forest department despite the fact that the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, provides for forest dwelling communities this right."In Himachal, where close to 70% of the geographical area is technically under forest land the implementation of FRA has been poor as it is. Forest land dependent people are being evicted by being labelled encroachers. Moves like CAMPA and the 2018 forest policy will further alienate people from forests and lead to conflict — as the forest department and private corporations take on plantation drives in forests where people are already dependent,” adds Manshi Asher of Himdhara Collective, also a signatory to submissions rejecting the draft.Himachal Van Adhikar Manch, a platform of state level groups, convener Akshay Jasrotia said that natural forests serve as a gene pool resource and help to maintain ecological balance. These forests need to be protected. However, the draft National Forest Policy 2018, despite stating this objective, appears not to be for conservation and regeneration of forests."Private sector works for profit and profit alone. The only way we understand that forests can be protected is by making those located closest to the forest in charge and strengthening sustainable forest based livelihoods,’ he added.

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