Conservation of forests is not only important for the environment which all living beings are dependent on but also houses some of the magnificent species which India is endowed with. Many countries have balanced conservation and development, however, there has been a lack of regard for conservation and environment in the development story of India post-1991 reforms. Data compiled by CSE as reported by Hindustan Times indicates that there has been an absolute lack of concern for forest conservation by both governments including the UPA and NDA.

According to CSE’s analysis, its is a mixed bag for the NDA government where there has been some positives and negatives, let us look at both
1. UPA rejected more than 11% projects due to conservation while NDA’s rejection rate is 0.01%.
2. The National Board Of Wildlife (NBWL) the highest advisory body to the government on wildlife issues has cleared more projects in 2 years than UPA did over 5 years.
3. NDA government has taken measures to improve pollution standards and monitoring for industrial sectors.
4. Clearance process has been eased without much improvement in the Environmental Impact Assessment report and its implementation.

The NDA, however, has defended its track record by saying the forest land diverted is half of what UPA did in its first 2 years.

The analysis is out in the open and the blame game has begun, what is lacking is the will to conserve our fragile forest resources that house many species of animal’s some that are endemic to India. The political parties and media should take up the issue and debate in public what is to be done to ensure balance in development and conservation.

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