Environmentalists up in arms over amendment to Tree Act

Amendment removes necessity of permission before cutting 16 more species

Environmentalists are up in arms over the “adoption” of the amendment to the Karnataka Tree Act that allows for an additional 16 species to be cut without prior permission from the Forest Department.

The amendment, which snuck into Governor Vajubhai Vala’s address recently, expands the list of trees that can be felled without permission to 27. It also increases the number of trees that can be cut in public interest and for domestic purposes.

The amendment was passed in the Belagavi session of the Assembly. The gazette notification will be sent to the Forest Department within a week, said sources in the Secretariat.

Among the newly-added species are plantation crops such as coffee, guava, lemon, cashew, and acacia trees that were taken up for afforestation programmes by the Forest Department. Madan Gopal, Additional Chief Secretary (Environment, Forest and Ecology), said, “Farmers had to go from pillar to post to cut non-forest trees on their own land. With this amendment, they will have an incentive to grow more, as there won’t be interference from Forest officials.”

The amendment comes nearly four years after the then BJP-led State government had temporarily withdrawn a proposal to expand the list to include 41 species. On December 19, 2014, the Bill was adopted amidst a ruckus by the Janata Dal (Secular) on the need for a minimum support price for maize.

Leo Saldanha, Environment Support Group-Trust – who had led protests against the 2010 amendment and based on whose petition the High Court had directed the government to ensure preservation of trees – said the amendment was passed without giving notice to the public. “This amendment has been passed hurriedly,” he said.

He said the “dilution” of the Act would lead to the “timber mafia” having easy access to trees. “If more than 50 trees are to be cut, the tree officer can consider objection of the public. The power seems to be entirely with the officer, and we have seen collusion between the tree officer and timber mafia,” said Mr. Saldanha.