3. EDITOR'S NOTE
Written By: SWEETY LILHARE
The author of this book currently educated in the field of
mass communication at the University of Nagpur.
4. ENVIRONMENT
PROTECTION
ACT 1896
Environment protection act of the
Parliament of India, 1986 Act. In the
wake of the Bhopal explosion or the
Bihar gas tragedy, the government of
India passed the Environment
Protection Act of 1986 under article 5
of the constitution. This was primarily
brought into effect to curb factory
dumping and increase the usage of
The Act is also accompanied by a wide
range of legislation covering different
aspects of environmental protection.
The central government, through the
Ministry of Environment Protection and
Promotion, has devised a
comprehensive scheme called 'National
Pollution Reduction Policy' (NP QRP).
This policy states that for every
pollutant, each of the levels of severity
should be assessed by the central and
state governments, with a view to
introducing a reduction programme
based on these rankings. This policy
was drafted to compensate for the loss
of the environment due to various
pollutants and their adverse effects.
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5. FOREST CONSERVATION ACT
1980
The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 an Act for the conservation of woods and for incidental or
ancillary thereto or other things associated therewith. It has been further amended in 1987. This
Act covers the entire of India. It has been modified from time to time.
Forests cover a very large area and serve as a source of livelihood for millions of people. They form
the primary source of food and livelihood for animals and many of them are also used for
recreation purposes. A large part of India is covered by forests and they are in great demand for
various products. These products include cotton, fruits, timber, tea, coir, jute, and several other
useful items.
This Act makes it mandatory to preserve the forests of India and give protection to them.
Moreover, these conservancy norms also help the government in earning revenues. Various
environmental agencies and organizations have been entrusted with the responsibility of
protecting the forests of India and making them suitable for people's use. These agencies and
organizations have been given strict powers by the Forest Development Act.
Besides the government, various organizations have also been instrumental in preserving the
forests. These people include NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and individuals who have
undertaken ecological researches. There are also local people who have been found to be involved
in environmental issues and have also protected some of the forests. They can be called
environmental managers.
The role played by such people has been important. Primarily, they have saved a large part of the
Indian forests which would otherwise have been destroyed. They have prevented further
degradation of the forests. Thus we can say that the role played by them has been very vital.
6. WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT 1972
The Wild Life Protection Act, the second decade of the Independence of India, is an Act of the
Parliament of India designed to protect various animal and plant species. Before 1972, India had
just five national parks namely, Corbett National Park, Sariska National Park, Keoladeo Ghana
National Park, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Ranthambhore National Park. Today, there are
over 80 protected sanctuaries in India. These protected areas are home to many rare animal and
bird species.
This Act has made it easy for people to secure their right to visit and watch wildlife in these
protected areas. However, there is still much that needs to be done in order to conserve and
protect our precious natural resources. It is also important to reduce the population of these
animals so that their numbers can be reduced. Saving these animals is also in the interest of the
community because it will help them in promoting their economic development.
The Wild Life Protection Act, the second decade of the Independence of India, is an Act of the
Parliament of India designed to protect various animal and plant species. Before 1972, India had
just five national parks namely, Corbett National Park, Sariska National Park, Keoladeo Ghana
National Park, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Ranthambhore National Park. Today, there are
over 80 protected sanctuaries in India. These protected areas are home to many rare animal and
bird species.
This Act has made it easy for people to secure their right to visit and watch wildlife in these
protected areas. However, there is still much that needs to be done in order to conserve and
protect our precious natural resources. It is also important to reduce the population of these
animals so that their numbers can be reduced. Saving these animals is also in the interest of the
community because it will help them in promoting their economic development.
8. The Indian forest act 1927
There was no regulation of logging in these Indian states at that time. There was no law relating to
the protection of forests. All kinds of animals, plants, and even insects were left to their own
devices. There was no control of their movement, no control over their reproduction, and no
regulation as to how they were disposed of. The situation remained like this for quite a long time.
But, the culminating moment for the first public auction of this kind occurred in 1893 when the
Bombay Presidency took over the whole of Bengal.
This was the beginning of protecting the rights of the people in the forests. The Bombay Presidency
was not alone; the other sixteen Indian states followed suit and implemented a protective policy
for the forests. This was also accompanied by a series of legislations that cleared away much of the
confusion regarding the rights of the subjects of these states. The Indian Forest Act 1927 came into
being as a result of this movement.
The Indian Forest Act is a statute that has been in existence since the beginning. But this act has
been frequently amended since it was first brought into being. This amended version of the act is
what we refer to as the Indian Forest Reclamation Act. Though the primary aim was to provide
security to the inhabitants of the country's forests, yet another important aspect of this act is its
encouragement of the growth of the timber industry. The growth of the industry has led to a
marked improvement in the conditions of the forest-studders and the biodiversity of the country's
forests.
The Indian Forest Reclamation Act has been widely used by the Indian state governments as a
means to safeguard the natural habitats of the various species of animals and plants. The state
governments have also been instrumental in making laws that prevent violation of the Rights of
the Forest Ownership, tenure of the lands, etc. These laws have helped in preventing the illegal
exploitation of the forests by the timber mafia. The Indian Forest Research Institute (IFRI) has also