NEW DELHI

The Ministry of the Environment’s Forestry Advisory Board relaxed the norms for ecotourism projects last month by allowing them to set up “non-permanent” structures in protected areas without central government permission – a move that experts fear will spur developers of such projects As there is no definition of “not permanent” the committee has yet to decide.

A decision was made that only the construction of permanent structures would be considered a “non-forestry” activity and would require prior central government approval and that other ecotourism activities that were non-permanent structures would not require central government approval A meeting of the Forest Council on February 17th, according to the minutes of the meeting uploaded to the Parivesh website on Thursday.

According to the minutes, the issue was first discussed by the FAC at its meeting on April 23, 2019 and again on January 23, 2020. In its meeting on April 23, 2020, the FAC recommended that only permanent structures for the purpose of ecotourism on forest areas are considered non-forestry activities and require the prior consent of the central government. However, the minutes added that two other clauses still caused confusion. On February 17th, the FAC decided to delete two clauses: 12.13 and 1.18 in the Forest Protection Guidelines published in the Ministry of Forest Protection Manual (1980) and in the 2003 Forest Protection Regulations. Section 12.13 of the manual states: “Ecotourism is a non-ecotourism forestry activity and is permitted in protected areas if these activities are part of the management plan / tiger protection plan and have been duly approved by the central government. Section 1.18 states, “Ecotourism is a non-forestry activity that requires prior approval under the FC Act. “

Independent experts said this could mean building temporary structures and pathways in environmentally sensitive areas that will impact both wildlife and the rights of forest dwellers.

“It was decided to consider ecotourism as a forestry activity. It is only considered a non-forestry activity if it involves building permanent structures. We have yet to finalize what exactly a permanent structure is. It’s a subjective matter. For example, if local materials are used or bamboo structures are created, they are also environmentally friendly, ”said a senior official in the Department of Forest Protection at the Ministry of the Environment.

“In order to clear up ambiguity and provide more clarity about the type of structures that should be considered permanent for the purpose of ecotourism in forest areas, the matter was discussed at various levels in the ministry. On the basis of consultation with the relevant departments and officials of the Ministry of Environment, attempts have been made to define the permanent structure, but an appropriate definition has not yet been finalized. It is also noted that the ministry is currently formulating ecotourism guidelines to regulate ecotourism activities in the forest area, ”the protocol reads.

“This clarification from FAC is important. Ecotourism activities can involve the creation of temporary or permanent infrastructure that can fragment forest areas and disrupt both livelihoods and areas important to wildlife. This infrastructure may include internal roads, campsites, forest trails, and other support facilities, including associated sanitation or recreation. Therefore, a precautionary approach based on wildlife, forest protection and forest rights legislation is important to enable such an interpretation, ”replied Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher at the Center for Policy Research, to the minutes.

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