New Delhi [India], July 3 : The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Thursday dismissed allegations of weakening environmental protections, calling them as misleading and based on a "gross misunderstanding of facts," and urged people to refrain from circulating what it termed 'deliberate misinformation.'
The clarification comes hours after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited a letter by civil society members, alleging that the ministry has "subverted" the Forest Rights Act.
Ramesh had shared a letter written by over 150 civil society groups and activists on the X platform, which objected to the statements of the Environment Minister, criticised the amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, among other things.
Replying to the allegations, the ministry shared a detailed response, asserting that it remains committed to protecting forests, India's green cover, and communities dependent on them.
"The reference in social media to a letter alleging 'Subversion of the Forest Rights Act' reflects a gross misunderstanding of facts. MOEFCC remains committed to protecting forests, India's green cover and communities dependent on them or living in the vicinity of said areas," the ministry said.
The ministry said the letter selectively quoted statements and facts and that the minister's remarks -- cited as evidence by civil society groups -- were taken out of context.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the civil society groups and activists cited a June 5 newspaper report where Minister Bhupender Yadav reportedly linked FRA titles to forest degradation -- a statement the government now claims was misrepresented.
"The statement is about the net increase in the forest cover in the country as per the latest State of Forest Report, wherein degradation in some forest areas has also been observed due to a variety of reasons," the ministry said, adding that these issues are being addressed through community-led protection measures.
"The context of the statement about increase in forest cover and halting of the degradation through active involvement of local communities alongside Forest Departments and other government agencies has been totally undermined, overlooked and misrepresented in the tweet," it added.
Responding to the charge that tribal communities are being excluded, the ministry cited the Union Environment Minister's recent interactions with the Tharu community in Uttar Pradesh's Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and the Soliga tribals in Karnataka, saying these engagements reflect the government's efforts to ensure active participation of forest dwellers in conservation.
The Union ministry also rejected claims about misleading encroachment data being submitted to parliamentary forums and tribunals, saying forest lands are under the jurisdiction of state governments and the data shared by the Centre is based on what states provide.
"The allegations being made that MoEFCC submits legally untenable data on encroachment is totally incorrect, unfounded and does not hold any merit," the ministry added. It further clarified that the relocation of villages from core areas of tiger reserves is voluntary and done under close monitoring by state governments in compliance with the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Responding to criticism over the 2023 amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act and the new Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, the ministry said the changes were passed through laid down constitutional and parliamentary procedures. "The allegation that the amendment subverts the legitimacy of institutional authorities is made without an in-depth understanding of the provisions," it said.
Rule 11(7) of the new Rules mandates that diversion or de-reservation of forest land can only happen after ensuring settlement of rights under the Forest Rights Act, it added.
Meanwhile, in his post on X, Jairam Ramesh said listed five major concerns raised in the letter -- including statements by the environment minister allegedly blaming the FRA for forest degradation, submission of questionable data on encroachments, orders for eviction of 65,000 families from tiger reserves, the Forest Survey of India's attribution of forest loss to FRA implementation, and the alleged bulldozing of 2023 forest law amendments.