Lalthlamuana Pachuau, IFS(Retd)
1. FCAA 2023 thatlohna nia lang te:-
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 (FCAA 2023) hi Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 1980 siamthatna (section thar 2/1 dahluh belhna leh section thenkhat tihdanglam hretna) a ni a, chung zinga Mizoram tana tha lo nia langte chu –
(1) Section 1A(1)-ah chuan “FCA 1980 hian Indian Forest Act 1927 emaw Dan dang tlawhchhana Forest tia puan ramngaw hmun (notified forest) te leh ni 25.10.1980 hnu lama Forest tia sawrkar record a chhinchhiah ramngaw hmunte chauh a huam ang…”, tih a ni a. Hei hian ni 12.12.1996-a Supreme Court order-in “FCA 1980-in forest land tia a sawi hian Dictionary-in forest tia a sawi ang hmun chu a huam vek ang” a tih chu pawlh dalin a kalh a. Mizoram-a notified forest ni lo leh sawrkar record-a chuang lo ramngawte chu FCA hmanga humhalh a nih loh chuan an chereu thuai ang tih hlauhthawnna a awm thei a ni. Hei hi ram pum huapa FCAA 2023 in sawisel a kaina chhan ber pakhat a ni.
(2) Section 1A(2)(c)(i)-ah chuan “International border atanga Km 100 huam chhung ramngaw hmuna ram tana pawimawh leh ram himna kaihhnawih thei ‘strategic linear project’ (of national importance and concerning national security) siamna atan chuan FCA hi hman a ni ve lo vang” tih a ni leh a. Mizoram khawi lai pawh hi International border atanga Km 100 chhunga awm a nih avangin chutiang ‘strategic linear project’ (Kawng, Rel kawng, Pipeline, Transmission line, etc) chuan Mizorama ramngaw khawi lai pawh paltlang dawn mah se, Forest Clearance (FC) dil a ngai dawn lo va. Chuti a nih chuan FC ngai lovin chutiang project chuan kan ramngaw leh environment hi nasa takin a tichhe mai ang tih hlauhthawnna a awm thei a ni.
(3) Section 1A(2)(c)(ii)-ah chuan “‘Security related infrastructure’ pakhat din nan ramngaw hmun hectare 10 chin zela zau atan FCA hman a ni lo vang” tih a ni bawk a. A awmzia chu ramngaw hmun hectare 10 aia zau lo-ah ‘Security related infrastructure’ din nan chuan FC dil a ngai dawn lo va. Chutiang Project chu ramngaw hmun khatah hectare 10 pel si lovin hmun tam takah FC tel lovin bun a ni mai ang tih hlauhthawnna a awm thei bawk a ni.
(4) Section 3C chuan “Central sawrkar in he Dan kenkawh/tihhlawhtlin nan hian State sawrkar hnuaia thuneitu tu pawh hnenah he Dan tihhlawhtlin nan hian a tul dan ang zelin thupek (direction) a pe thin ang” a ti bawk a. He section hnuaiah hian Central sawrkarin he Dan tihhlawhtlinna tih hming pu siin a ngaihpawimawh thil/project kalpui nan Mizoram tana tha lo tur pawh ni se, a duh ang angin State sawrkar-ah ‘direction’ a pe mai ang tih hlauhthawnna a awm thei bawk a ni.
2. FCAA 2023 thatlohna nia sawi te hi a tha lovin a hlauhawm tak tak em?: He zawhna hi chu a hnuaia tarlante atang hian mimalin ngaih dan siam mai ni se.
(1) A chung Para 1(1) a FCAA 2023 thatlohna nia tarlan (FCAA 2023-in forest huam chin a sawr zim/pawlh dal tih) hi chu Supreme Court-ah A K Sharma, IFS (Retd) & Others-te’n an khing a. Ni 19.02.2024-a Supreme Court Interim order chuan “Final judgement siam hma chu FCA-in ‘forest land’ a tih hi Dictionary meaning anga kalpui rih tur a ni ang” a ti a. He thilah hi chuan Supreme Court thutlukna (final judgement) ngaihchan phawt a ngai a ni.
(2) Para 1(2) & 1(3)-a FCAA 2023 thatlohna nia lang, FC Exemption chungchang hi chu Central sawrkarin FC Exemption kalpui dan tur “Guidelines”, ni 29.11.2023-a a siam hmangin bihchian a ngai a. Chu Guidelines, FCA section 1A(3)-in a phut anga siam-in FC Exemption kalpui dan tur a sawi, Mizorama hman tur chi thil pawimawh zualte chu lo tarlang ila –
(a) Para 1(2) chungchang bik atan: Section 1A(2)(c)(i)-a tarlan Strategic linear project atana FC dil lo va forest ram hman tur chu hetiang hian kalpui a ni ang:-
i) Chutiang Strategic linear project te chu Central sawrkarin a kalpui dawn a nih chuan State sawrkar rawn chungin ram tana pawimawh bik leh ram himna kaihhnawih thil a ni tih a puang (notify) ang a. Chutiang Project atana forest ram hman dilna (Proposal) chu State sawrkar hnuaia thuneitu hnenah thehluh tur a ni a. Dilna leh hman phalna (Approval) chu forest clearance dil dan, kalpui dan leh pek dan zulzuiin PARIVESH Portal-ah thehluh tur a ni a. State sawrkar hnuaia thuneitute chuan forest ram tihchhiat turin – forest, wildlife, environment leh thil dang a nghawng dan turte, forest ram hmangtu tur (User agency)-in Project thil tihchhiat do let dan tur (mitigation measures) a ruahman te, Compensatory Afforestation tihna tur ram (CA land) leh a pawisa ngai zat te, NPV pawisa pe tura a intiamna te ngun taka thlir leh ngaihtuah chungin State sawrkarah rawtna an thlen ang a;
ii) State sawrkar chuan forest ram hman phalna – Approval chu chhawng hnih ‘In-principle Approval’ leh ‘Final approval’ in a pe ang a. ‘In-principle approval’ pek rualin User agency-in a tihhlawhtlin tur thil pawimawh hrang hrangte bituk a ni ang a, chung thil bitukte chu User agency-in a tihhlawhtlin a, pawisa chawi ngai (cost of CA, NPV, mitigation plan, etc) te a pek hnuah chauh Final Approval chu pek a ni ang;
iii) Forest ram, thil dang atana hman tur chu Wildlife Protection Act 1972 hnuaia humhalh ram (National Park, Wildlife Sanctuar, Tiger Resrerve, etc) a nih chuan chutiang ram hman dilna (Proposal) chu Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife pawmpuina lak hnuah chauh emaw a kalpui dan tur Central sawrkarin a siam zulzuiin State sawrkar-ah ngaihtuah a ni ang;
iv) User agency-in EIA Notification 2006 hnuaia Environment Clearance lak ngai te an la ngei a ni tih leh Environment Management Plan te an tihlawhtling ngei a ni tih State sawrkarin a tichiang ang;
v) Ramngaw hmun chu User agency hnena hlan hmain User agency-in State sawrkar hnuaia Dan (Acts & Rules) dang hman mek zawm ngaite pawh a zawm ngei a ni tih State sawrkarin a tichiang bawk tur a ni.
(b) Para 1(3) chungchang bik atan: Section 1A(2)(c)(ii)-a tarlan ‘Security related infrastructure’ pakhat din nana ramngaw hmun hectare 10 chin zela zau atan FCA hman a ni lo ang tih hi chu Central sawrkarin Left Wing Extremism affected Area/District tia a puan hmunah chauh hman tur a ni a. [vide para 2 of the Guidelines issued under section 1A(3)]. Chuti a nih chuan ‘Security related infrastructure’ atana FC Exemption hi chu Mizoram-ah Left Wing Extremism affected District kan neih loh avangin a hman ve theih loh a ni.
(4) Para 1(4)-a tarlan, FCAA 2023 Section 3C-ah “Central sawrkarin he Dan kenkawh nan hian State sawrkar hnuaia thuneitu tu pawh hnenah a tul dan ang zelin ‘direction’ a pe thin ang” tih hi chu FCA 1980 kenkawhna (implementation) thil atan chauh a ni a. Hetiang provision hi Act leh Rules-in a tarlan bak thil chiang lo, Dan siam laia hmuh lawk loh thil – Dan kenkawh kawnga harsatna awm palh thei inhrilhfiah nan leh a tih dan/kalpui dan tur inkawhhmuh nan a ngai ve thin a. Danin a ken tel loh thil dang daih chungchanga ‘direction’ inpek nana hman chi a ni lo. Dan dangah te pawh hetiang provision hi chu dah tel a ni tlangpui thin.
Note: FCAA 2023 hi FCA 1980 siamthatna chauh a ni a, amahin Dan puitling a ni lo. FCA 1980 hian a tak takah chuan ram inhlanchhawn (transfer of land) chu a keng tel ngei a; mahse FCA 1980 hi State kan nih hmaa Dan awm tawh, India ram pumah 1980 atanga tun thlenga a Amendment (FCAA 1988 & FCAA 2023) te nen hman mek a ni a. FCAA 2023 chauh Article 371G hmanga dodal emaw Adopt emaw hian Mizorama FCA 1980 hman chungchangah danglamna a thlen lo. FCA 1980 kan tih hian FCAA 1988 leh FCAA 2023 te hi a huam vek a, a eng amah hi lakhran theih a ni lo. Eng Dan pawh hi a Principal Act hman a nih chuan a Amendment te chu loh theih lohin (automatic-in) hman a ngai a, a Amendment chauh dodal emaw Adopt emawin awmzia a nei lo.