AFTER the recent verdict of Supreme Court declaring Zudpi jungle in six eastern Vidarbha districts as forest land, district administrations in the region are now waiting for the format through which they would submit their proposal for converting forest (Zudpi Jungle) land for commercial use. In a landmark verdict, the Apex Court had said, ‘The Union Government and the State of Maharashtra shall, with mutual consultation and with prior approval of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), devise a format for processing the proposal of diversion of Zudpi Jungle land for non-forestry activities within a period of three months’.

 

The district administrations will start processing the proposals only after the format is duly devised as per the top court’s directions. “Nobody knows as to how the proposal should be prepared. We have to follow the directives of the Supreme Court. It may take two months to prepare the proposal. We have to get it approved from the CEC. Then only the proposal can move forward,” pointed out a senior administrative officer on the condition of anonymity. In its order, the Supreme Court has mandated that for Zudpi lands allotted by competent authorities up to December 12, 1996 and for which land classification had not been changed, the State of Maharashtra shall seek approval under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 for deletion from the list of forest areas. These directions apply for the land before December 12, 1996 only.

 

According to a retired officer, when the administration starts preparing proposal for such lands, their area is likely to reduce if they strictly follow the directions specified by SC. In fact, many departments having structures on Zudpi lands are not much concerned about their diversion. Parts of some projects are on Zudpi lands but the departments are not in a mood to seek change in land use. For example, inside MIHAN, there is a lake in close vicinity of Mahindra Tech company. The surrounding of the lake is part of Zudpi Jungle.

 

A very senior officer of Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) said, “We are not taking any steps for that small piece of land -- a part of Zudpi Jungle. Applying for its deforestation will be a futile exercise. The land is very close to the lake and so we won’t be able to set up any project there.” Only six districts of eastern Vidarbha, including Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Wardha and Gondia are facing the issue of Zudpi jungle used for various non-forest purposes for the past several decades. Land admeasuring approximately over 1.70 lakh hectare is now treated as forest land. The word ‘Jungle’ with Zudpi made all the difference and such lands were brought under the ambit of forest. As per many officials, including from the Forest Department, taking up any work on the forest land is very difficult.