Go/No Go revisited,for forests

The ashok Chawla committee has recommended that forests be classified into zones on the basis of their ecological value,something on the lines of the contentious Go/No-Go categorisation for coal mining. Such a classification would make highly eco-sensitive parts out of bounds for economic activity,but the panel has such an exercise is necessary for bringing predictability in granting forest clearance to projects and for reducing delays in the approval process.

“The proposed classification of forests could be based on criteria such as biological attributes,geo-climatic attributes,and stakeholder valuation. This could permit the delineation of inviolate (areas) that are extremely eco-sensitive and would not be diverted for non-forest purposes under any circumstances or only for a defined set of limited circumstances,” the Chawla Committee has said.

The report does not ever mention “Go/No-Go” though it builds on the same concept.

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Another significant recommendation relates to the calculation of net present value,or NPV,of forest land being diverted for any project. This NPV has to be paid by the project proponent as compensation for forest land destroyed. The committee has stressed a need to re-assess the valuation of forests and feels the present value is low compared to that of agricultural land.

“While the highest eco-class has a value of about Rs 4 lakh per acre,the current compensation for land acquisition in Haryana is Rs 12 to 40 lakh per acre depending on location. In addition,there is a solatium of 30 per cent and an additional no-litigation incentive of 20 per cent,i.e.,the amount is actually between Rs 18 to 60 lakh per acre,” the report says.