Exploring oil and gas deposits in forests

The Union environment ministry has undertaken measures to clear the ground for the approval process of forest surveys and exploratory drilling intended to drill into the ground for oil and gas exploration.

Highlights:

• Nodal Officer under the Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act shall have to approve the land diversion permission for survey and exploratory drilling proposals in the forest areas.
• The divisional forest officer must note the observations and recommendations within a month and forward the application to the nodal officer.

Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act, 1980:

• Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Rules, 2023, repealed the Forest (Conservation) Rules of 2022.
• Such rules forbid deforestation of reserved forests and non-forest use of forest land or lease or handover of forest land to private entities.
• It restricts disbursement of naturally grown trees from reforestation.