MIZORAM FOREST AREA MAUSÂMNA LEH DEVELOPMENT KHAIHLAKNA HI ENGTIN TAK CHINGFEL ANG MAW?

Lalnunmawia Pachuau

Mizoram hi India rama ramngaw nei tha ber leh nei zau ber thin kan nih lai hian tun dinhmunah erawh ramngaw dur tha sawi tur kan nei tawh mang lo a, a chhan ber nia an puh thin chu thingtlang lo neih (jhuming cultivation) hi a ni. Amaherawhchu, hei aia pawi zawk hi a awm a, chu chu Reserved Forest area chhunga dan bawhchhiatna, illegal encroachment nasa tak, mimal hnena ram lo pek vak hi a ni.
Mizoram chhunga kan ramngaw te hi engtin nge kan venhim ang a, Reserved Forest area-a dan bawhchhiatna (illegal incroachment) kan tih hi engtianga chinfel tur nge ni ang tih hi ngun taka kan ngaihtuah a ngai tawh a ni. Sawrkar thar, ZPM ministry a lo piang ta a, kum rei tak sawrkar hmasa ten an lo uipui tuilian thlir mai mai hi chingfel turin hma a la dawn em tih hi zawhna pawimawh tak a ni awm e.
RESERVED FOREST AREA PALPHÛLNA A NASA:
British-in min awp lai daih tawh khan Inner Line Reserved Forest (ILRF), 1877 kan nei tawh a, he ILRF hian Mizoram leh Assam ram chhung zau tak a awh ve ve a, Assam area-ah chauh ni lo, Mizoram area-ah pawh bawhchhiatna a nasa hle a ni. Tun hnai lawkah ILRF chhungah hian Assam sawrkar-in Forest Clearance nei lovin Hailakandi District-ah 44 hectare area divert-a Commando Camp a buatsaih vangin National Green Tribunal (NGT)-ah Sou moto thubuai ziahluh a ni nghe nghe. He case-ah hian Mizoram lama ILRF area bawhchhiatna pawh Assam lam hian hnuh luh an tum hle niin a lang.
Hei baka Reserved Forest area kan neih te hi District Council kan nih hun laia dan siam Mizo District Forest Act, 1955 hnuaia puan te an ni. Kan Forest Act, 1955 hnuaia puan hmasak leh lian ber chu Reverine Reserved Forest (RRF) Notification kan tih, dt. 28.01.1965-a puan kha a ni. Kan luipui lian 16 leh a kamtuak 800 meters bakah Aizawl to Vairengte via Sairang road side reserved forest a huamtel bawk a ni.
RRF chauh ni lo, kan Reserved Forest dang chhungah hian mihring chènna hmun Settlement Area te, WRC, Horticulture Developed area, etc., kan tih te hi a awm nuk tawh mai a, a ram tha lai zawng zawng hi kan palphûl zo tawh ti ila kan sawisual tam lo ang. Revenue Department leh VC ten Ram pass an pe chhuak bakah LAD lamin khaw din phalna Notification a chhuah nual bawk a ni.
RESERVED FOREST AREA CHHUNGA RAM PEKCHHUAH A VA TAM VE:
NGT, Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata chuan Center for Environment Protection (CEP) -vrs. Union of India case-ah Interim Order khauh tak chhuahin Mizoram State chhunga Reserved Forest area-a LSC, PP, VC Pass, etc., pekchhuah te inspection nei vek turin a lo ti tawh a. Hemi order bawhzui hian April ni 13, 2020 khan Revenue Department chuan Reserved Forest huam chhunga ram nei ten an ram cancel a nih lohna chhan tur ni 30 chhunga sawifiah turin Notification hi a lo chhuah tawh a ni.
Tichuan, NGT Order bawhzui hian Forest Department pawhin hma la in dated 02/03/2021 thlenga Reserved Forest area huamchhunga ram pekchhuah zat, PCCF Office-in a record zat chu 5303 niin encroachment area chu 10737.3867 hectare area a ni tawh a ni. Hetah hian RRF huamchhunga ram pekchhuah hi a tam lawrlak a ni!
Hetih lai hian Vanglaini chanchinbu dated 31.05.2023-a kan hmuh angin Revenue Department lam chuan, “Reserved Forest area huam chhungah ram pass kan pechhuak lo” an ti ve thung. Heta tang ringawt pawh hian kan forest ram chin te, revenue ram chin te, settlement area chin te hi chinfel a ngai takzet tawh tih kan hrethiam awm e.
RRF NOTIFICATION NUAIBO A NI.. APPEAL A NI DAWN EM?
RRF Notification hi Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench chuan dated 27.01.2021 khan a lo nuai bo (quashed) tawh a, hetih lai hian Ministry hmasa leh NGO ten appeal-in withdraw a ni leh ta a. Tunah hian ZPM Ministry hian a appeal dawn nge ni a, appeal lovin encroachment solution a zawng zawk dawn? He mi chungchanga ngaihtuah tura pawimawh em em chu High Court order hi Appeal-a RRF Notification dinchantir leh (status quo) hi illegal encroachment chinfelna tha ber a ni em tih hi a ni.
Kum 50 chuang kan reserved forest area te hi tha taka humhalh leh venhim an nih ngai loh vangin a chhungah mi sang tam tak lo inbengbelin, in leh lo dinin tuchhuan engmaw zat an lo pung chho tawh a. He’ng te hian Bûngpui thanglian angin zung an kaih nghet zel a, tunah chuan an zung nena karphawh hi thil thil harsa tâwpkhawk a ni tawh ngei ang. Dan ang takin RRF Notification hi kengkawh dawn ila, RRF area leh Roadside reserved forest (Aizawl to Vairengte via Sairang) area chhunga hun rei tak lo inbengbel tawh te hi dan lova inbengbel an nih angin hnawhchhuah (evict) an ngai dawn tihna a ni.
Manipur Tribal ram laksak tuma reserved forest Notification an puan hnan vang leh hnawhchhuah an tum vanga buaina irchhuak leh buaina tawp thei lo an hmachhawn dan chu kan hai awm lo e. Kum rei tak in leh lo dina lo inbengbel tawh te chènna hmun lo ram, ramngaw pawh ni tawh lo te hi reserved forest area la ni tlat rawh se kan va tihsak leh bur dawn em ni? Ramngaw humhalh kan sawi dur dur laia kan Reserved Forest area chin diktak, demarcation area leh boundary te finfiahna leh humhalhna kawnga ke pên a awm ngai lo te hi ngaihmawh tham a ni zawk. Dawhkan atanga venghim lovin a hmuna luhchilha a area chiang taka kan hriatchian a ngai.
Kum 1965 atanga vawiin ni thleng hian Aizawl to Vairengte kawngdung, Roadside reserved forest area-ah hian mi sang tamtak an inbengbel khat thup tawh a. Mamit District lam han hawi thla ila, Tut leh Langkaih ruam zawng zawngah lo inbengbel tawhin Kuhva leh thlai dang a lo khat thup tawh bawk a. Dan ang thlapin RRF Notification hi kengkawh dawn ila, a chhunga chèngte hi illegal encroacher an nih vangin hnawhchhuah an ngai dawn tihna a ni. Dan ang takin protection kalpuiin eviction drive te neiin an land pass te hi cancel ni ta se khawiah nge an inbenbel leh ang?
RRF Notification nuaibona order appeal hian encroachment chinfelna (solution) hi a thlen ang em? Tuna kan buaina tamtak hi a kian phah ang em tih hi ngun taka kan ngaihtuah a ngai. Mi sangtamtak chenna hmun reserved forest-a kan chantir leh chuan project kal dawn ve leh forest ram tia claim a ni leh ngei dawn a, buaina tawp thei lo kan hmachhawn zel dawn niin a lang.
RAM NEITU TE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT KAN CHHUHSAK THEI LO:
Reserved Forest area huamchhunga ram pass kan tih, Revenue Department-in a pekchhuah te hi Mizo District (Land Revenue) Act, 1956 kan tih te, Mizo District (Agricultural Land) Act, 1963, Mizoram (Land Revenue) Act, 2013 dan hnuaia pekchhuah te an ni. Village Council-in Lushai Hills (House Sites) Act, 1953 hnuaia a pekchhuah te an awm bawk. Autonomous District Council area-ah chuan an mahni Land Revenue Act hnuaiah pek chhuah an ni thung.
Revenue Land Pass neitu te hian dan ang thlapa chhiah (tax) an pek chuan “Right over the land” neiin an ram chhungah khan title an nei tihna a ni. Hetah hian an ram pass hi cancel sak an ni lo emaw, Court-in an ram hi Dan ni lova pek, awmze nei lo (null and void) a tihsak si loh chuan an right hi va chhuhsak ngawt theih an ni lo a, Article 300A of Indian Constitution-in a venhim tlat vangin a nghawng tur kan hmuh phak a ngai.
RAM NEITU TE RIGHT HI LAKSAK TA ILA ENGE A NGHAWNG TUR?
Forest area bawhchhiatna kawnga mawhphurtu ber chu Mizoram sawrkar hi a ni a, Ram pass pechhuaktu a nih vangin a kaikuang ber a ni a, a tuartu tur pawh a ni. Turial Hydel Project atangin experience kan nei tawh a, sawrkar chetsualna kan lo tawn tawh te hi inzirna atan hman a tha awm e.
Tuirial HP chungchangah khan tuikhuahin a chîm chin tur zawng zawng (whole submergence area) kha RRF huam chhung tiin NEEPCO in Vaibelchhe 24 chuang CA leh NPV atan Forest Department-ah an chhunglut a. Mahse, RRF huamchhunga ram nei ten “Kan ram hi dan ang thlapa min pek a ni, kan constitutional right min chhuhsak thei lo” an lo tih ve tlat vangin Project kal lai an lo dodal a, Court-ah an kal ruih ruih bawk. Project pawh rei tak a kaltluan theih loh phah a nih kha.
Tichuan, NEEPCO ten “Reserved Forest area a nih vangin Forest Clearance atan CA leh NPV Vaibelchhe 24 chuang kan pe tawh a, mimal hnenah compensation kan pe double thei tawh lo” tiin MNF term hmasa tawp lam khan project kha an chawlhsan ta a nih kha. Tichuan, kum 2011-a project tharthawh (revive) leh tura Mizoram sawrkar (congress ministry) nena inremna an neih angin he project kaihhnawiha Compensation awm te chu Mizoram sawrkarin a pek a lo ngai ta a ni.
Hetiang chiah hian tuna kan rama Project thenkhat kal turah pawh Forest Department lamin Forest Clearance an phût tlat lai hian project agency ten ram neitu te hnena land compensation an pek duh loh chuan a tuar let tu tur chu Mizoram sawrkar tho a ni. Tuirial HP ram neitu te hnena pek ngai aia tam daih hi Kolasib tlangdunga ram neitu te pek an ngai lo ang tih tunge sawi thei? Implementing agency ten Godavarman case (irrespective of ownership) behchhana compensation leh NPV/CA an lo pe kawp thei a nih hlauh chuan lawmawmah ngai ila.
NH 306 4-LANE PROJECT KAL TUR BUAINA PAWH HI:
Mizorama issue lian tak ni mek pakhat chu NH 306 Four-Lane kal tura Forest area leh mimal ram inthuah boruak khu a ni awm e. Gauhati High Court-in dated 27.01.2021-ah RRF Notification a nuaibo tawh laiin mi thenkhatin High Court-in ‘Reserved Forest Notification a nuaibo thei lo a, a de-notify thei lo’ tiin tan an khawh mek a. Mahse, High Court-in thuneihna a nei lo ti reng chung hian High Court Order chu appeal turin sawrkar an nawr tluk tluk ang lawi a! High Court order-in awmzia a nei lo an tih chuan High Court order pawh chu challenge ngai awm lo tak hi a nia!
Hetih lai hian August ni 22, 2023-ah Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 (FCAA) kan adopt duh loh thu Mizoram Assembly House-ah Official Resolution meuh kan pass tawh laiin he Dan behchhan hian Forest Clearance kan la demand ngat ngat ang lawi a! FCAA, 2023 pawm lovin a Principal Act, (Forest Conservation Act, 1980) chauh kan pawm dawn em ni? A va mak tehnuaih awm ve! Nge ni, NH 306 tih sukuk tum hrim hrima thu veivir kual tira game play-a sawrkar pressure pe an an awm zawk? He mi chungchang hi ngun taka zirchian a ngai a, Tuirial HEP kaihhnawiha case lut zat leh an sum claim zat te, High Court-in payment chungchanga Mizoram sawrkar liberty a pek dan thlenga zirchian ngai a ni. Mi thenkhat thu veivir kual awih duan duan in kan thle kual mai mai em tih te hi ngaihtuah a ngai e?
Gauhati High Court-in RRF Notification a nuaibo tawh laia High Court-in Reserved Forest Notification nuaibo turin thuneihna a nei lo ti ang ziazanga RRF Notification la dinchan tir luih tlatna te hi court zahlohna a tling thei hial awm e. Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 a lo pian hnua Central Government remtihna loa State sawrkar-in Reserved Forest Notification a de-notify/de-reserve theih lohna hian State thuneihna chauh a sawilang a, hetih laia High Court-in Notification a nuaibo thei lo ang ziazanga thu veivir hi thil zialo tak a ni. Kan ngaihdan hi nge lal zawk Dan thu tih te hi ngaihtuah a tha ngai e.
Hetih lai hian Revenue Department chuan dated 8th April, 2024-a a thuchhuahah chuan ‘High Court-in RRF Notification a nuaibo tawh vangin RRF area a awm tawh lo e’ tiin thu an chhuah thung. RRF Notification nuai bo chungchangah sawrkar department pahnih te ngaihdan a inanglo hi thil mak pawh a ni zozai tawh lo e. Ni e, kan Assembly House-in Article 371(G) Special Provision behchhanin ropui takin Official Resolution hmangin August ni 22, 2023-ah FCAA, 2023 hi lo hnawl tawh mahse, a tak ramah erawh FCAA, 2023 hi kan lo hnawl phal miah loh bakah he mi dan behchhan hian Forest Clearance hi kan la demand bur bur a mai chu a nih hi!
RRF NOTIFICATION NUAIBO NI MAHSE LUI LIAN 19 LEH A KAMTUAK FOREST RAM HUMHALH A LA NI RENG:
RRF Notification High Court-in a nuaibo tia kan àn dur dur lai hian Rule 4 (6) of Mizoram (Land Revenue) Rules, 2013-ah chuan RRF in a humhalh lui lian 16 bakah lui lian dang 3 humhalh belh leh a ni a, a vaiin Luilian 19 leh a kamtuak 800 meters humhalhna bilhluh a ni. Hei hi Government Recorded Forest a ni a, India ram Forest dan thar ber Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 hnuaia forest area hrilfiah zingah khan kan dahlut thei tihna a ni.
Section 1A(1) of FCAA, 2023-ah khan Forest area hrilhfiahna a lo tarlang a. Sub-section 1(b)-ah hian “Government Record as Forest” tiin explanation-ah “Government Record” tih awmzia chu Revenue Department or Forest Department of the State Government or Union territory Administration or any authority, local body, community or council recognised by the State Government or Union territory Administration ten Forest area an lo record ho kha recorded/reserved forest area an ni tihna a ni.
Hetiang a nih vang hian Forest Department chauh ni lovin, Revenue Department te, LAD ten Reserved Forest an lo recorded te leh kan local body, Council te thlengin Forest area anga an lo record zawng zawng te hi FCAA, 2023 hnuaiah chuan Reserved/Recorded Forest area ni thei tihna a ni.
HNUTIANG HAWI LOVA HMA THAR LAK KAN NGAI E:
RRF Notification nuaibo ni tawh mahse, Mizoram (Land Revenue) Rules, 2013 hmanga kan luipui lian leh a kamtuak ramngaw te kan venhim chhunzawm theih lai leh Mizoram (Protection of Rivers) Act, 2023 hmanga kan Lui leh a kam conservation zone venhim theihna kan neih te hi hmang tangkai thiam zawk ila. Mi sang tamtak te kum rei tak inbenbelna leh eizawnna hmun te hi ramngawa chantir let theih a nih tawh loh vangin thlah zalen mai emaw, regularised mai hi rorelna fing zawk a nih ngei a rinawm. Hun kal tawha kan tihsual leh pawikhawihna hi siamthat a harsa tawh a, chu ai chuan kan dan neihte siamtha in hmalakna thar neih hi kan tih makmawh a ni zawk.
Kan ramngaw humhalhna kawnga pawimawh ber pakhat chu kan culture leh custom nena inhnerem community reserved forest kan chawinun thar leh hi a ni. Mizoram Forest Act, 1955 te hi kan culture leh custom milin her rem chho ila, Community reserved forest enkawltu khawtlang leh YMA te hnenah hian CAMPA Fund te pawh hi hmang uar deuh deuh ila hmasawnna thar kan nei zawkin a rinawm.
SE BO HNUA SE KAWNG KHAR- REGULARISED A HARSA TAWH:
India ramah forest ram palphûlna, illegal encroachment a nasat vangin MoEF&CC pawhin 18th September, 1990 kan ‘Guidelines for Regularization of encroachment on forest land’ chhuahin hetah hian Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Kerala, Tripura and Andaman & Nicobar Islands te chuan proposals an thehlut a, hei hi Central Government chuan approved sakin heta regularized area hi 3.66 lakh hectare area a ni. Madhya Pradesh hian 275405.692 hetare area zet a regularized a, kan thenawm Arunachal Pradesh chuan Hectare area 13419.290 regularized in, Tripura pawhin Hectare 27.400 an regularized a ni.
Hetih lai hian Supreme Court chuan Central Government-in regularization a kalpui zel tur chu a remti ta lo va, dated 23-11-2001 khan order a chhuah ta ni (I.A. No.703 in WP(C) No. 202 of 1995). He mi hnu hian MoEF&CC chuan regularization chungchangah Circular vide No.2-1/2003-FC(Pt) dated 5.02.2004 dang a tichhuak leh a, hei pawh hi dated 23.02.2004 hian Supreme Court hian a stayed leh ta bawk a ni (I.A. No.1126 in WP(C) No. 202 of 1995). Hetiang a nih vang hian tun dinhmunah chuan reserved forest area chhunga khawsa te leh inbengbel te regularised harsat dan tur pawh kan hrethiam mai awm e. RRF Notifcation status qou-a a awm leh chuan heng forest area chhunga mi sang tamtak chêng te hian engtin tak Forest dan hnuaiah dikna chanvo nei thei ang maw?
NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL LEH SUPREME COURT LAMAH:
Tunah hian Mizorama illegal encroachment chungchang chingfel tur hian NGT, Kolkata-ah Center for Environment Protection (CEP) ten kum 2019-ah khan zualkona thehluh in (O.A. No. 68 of 2019/EZ), hei hi a la pending mek a, hei bakah hian NGT Principal Bench pawhin Decan Herald chanchinbu in dated 4.01.2024-a a thuchhuah behchhanin Sou-moto case (O.A. No. 129 of 2024) siamin India rama forest area encroachment chingfel tur hian case a kalpui mek bawk. Decand Herald hian India rama forest area encroachment 56% lai hi North East state, Mizoram leh a thenawm state-a thleng niin a lo tarlang nghe nghe.
Hetih mek lai hian Supreme Court pawhin Writ Petition (PIL Case) No. 1164 of 2023-a lo chai ve mek bawk a, hetah hian Rule 16 of FCAA, 2023-in a phût angin kum 1 chhung ngeia Forest area Consolidated record peih fel vek turin State/UT zawng zawng te direction a lo pe bawk. Mizoram sawrkar hian he’ng case te hi hmang tangkaiin encroachment chingfel tur hian hma la se a duhawm hle.
BENGSIKA NGAIHTUAH A NGAI E:
Kan ram dinhmun han thlir ila, kum rei tak Sawrkar hmasa te inthlahdah vangin Forest & Environmental laws bawhchhiatna a nasa hle a, reserved forest area chhungah mi sang tamtak an lo inbengbel tawh a, he illegal encroachment hi engtianga chinfel tur nge ni ang tih hi bengsika ngaihtuah a ngai a ni.
RRF Notification nuaibona Gauhati High Court order dated 27.01.2021 hi Court sangah kan appeal ang a, RRF Notification hi kan dinchantir leh ringawt dawn nge ni a, appeal lovin solution kan zawng zawk dawn? Nge ni, mi sang tamtak inbenbelna hmun hi reserved forest area a ni tiin venhimna kawngah hma engmah la chuang lovin RRF Notification hi kan rula raw neih leh mai mai zawk dawn? Tichuan, kum 50 chuang venhim ngai loh RRF area-ah Development a lo kal ve leh Forest ram a ni kan va tihsak leh thin ang a, ram neitu leh sawrkar kan innawr buai chhunzawm zel zawk dawn? Appeal ringawt hi buaina chinfelna tur, solution a ni em tih hi ngaihtuah a ngai e?
Tun dinhmunah chuan RRF huam chhungah mi sang tamtak inbengbelin hmun tha zawng zawng hi chènna, eizawnna, nûl neihna hmun atan kan hmang deuh vek tawh a, ramngaw pawh ni tawh lo hmun zau tak encroachment area hi forest area-ah kan siam let leh vek dawn em ni? Nge ni a, demarcation area leh boundary diktak pawh hrechiang lo vin a taka enforce theih miah loh RRF Notification tungding lehin Development kal dawnah NPV leh CA claim-na hmanrua atan kan vauchher leh char char zawk dawn? Side A chauh ngaihtuah lovin Side B pawh kan thlir tel a ngai. Nge ni a, ZPM ministry pawh hian Ministry hmasa te ang khan he buaina hi a uipui tuilian thlir liam mai mai zawk dawn? Ngaihtuah ngun a ngai e..