NAGPUR: Agencies eyeing forest land diversion for various projects will have to shell out 53% more towards net present value (NPV) in lieu of the land diverted under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980. The rates have been revised on the direction of the Supreme Court order issued 13 years ago on March 28, 2008. The MoEFCC issued an order on the revision of NPV rates to all states on January 6, 2022.
“The NPV will be between Rs15.95 lakh per hectare to Rs10.69 lakh per hectare depending upon the eco-class of the forest. Earlier, NPV for all classes of land was between Rs10.43 lakh per hectare to Rs6.99 lakh hectare. In case of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, NPV shall be charged to the extent of 10 times the normal value payable,” said forest sources.
Based on the recommendations of the apex court’s Central Empowered Committee (CHECK), the new NPV rates have come into force. The forest has been divided into six classes (I-VI) with three categories — very dense, dense, and open forest.
For calculating the average NPV per hectare, the CEC considered the monetary value of eight types of goods and services provided by the forest. These goods and services included timber and fuel, fodder, eco-tourism, bio-prospecting, ecological services, flagship species, and carbon sequestration.
As per the MoEFCC directives now, NPV shall be charged to the extent of ten times the normal NPV payable in the case of national parks and five times in the case of sanctuaries.
The use of non-forest land falling within the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries may be permitted on payment of an amount equal to the NPV payable for the adjoining forest area.
In respect of non-forest land falling within marine national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, the amount shall be five times the NPV payable for the adjoining forest area.
Full NPV exemption will be provided for diversion of 1-hectare forest land for public utility proposals like schools, playground, hospitals, children playground, community centres, overhead tanks, village tanks, laying of underground drinking water, irrigation and piped natural gas (PNG), pipeline up to 4-inch diameter, electricity distribution line up to 22kv in rural areas.
However, this exemption will be subject to the conditions that no tree felling will be involved and these projects should be of non-commercial nature under government schemes and must be falling outside national parks and sanctuaries.
Besides, the exemption will be allowed for relocation of villages from protected areas. For laying of underground optical fibre cable, full exemption will be allowed provided there is no felling of trees and the area falls outside national parks and sanctuaries.
The new regime will also charge 50% NPV for wind and 25MW hydroelectric projects provided minimal tree felling is involved, irrespective of the eco-class in which the project lies. Field firing range (FFR) of defense ministry not involving felling of trees and no likelihood of destruction of forests will be charged 20% NPV.
“The NPV will be between Rs15.95 lakh per hectare to Rs10.69 lakh per hectare depending upon the eco-class of the forest. Earlier, NPV for all classes of land was between Rs10.43 lakh per hectare to Rs6.99 lakh hectare. In case of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, NPV shall be charged to the extent of 10 times the normal value payable,” said forest sources.
Based on the recommendations of the apex court’s Central Empowered Committee (CHECK), the new NPV rates have come into force. The forest has been divided into six classes (I-VI) with three categories — very dense, dense, and open forest.
For calculating the average NPV per hectare, the CEC considered the monetary value of eight types of goods and services provided by the forest. These goods and services included timber and fuel, fodder, eco-tourism, bio-prospecting, ecological services, flagship species, and carbon sequestration.
As per the MoEFCC directives now, NPV shall be charged to the extent of ten times the normal NPV payable in the case of national parks and five times in the case of sanctuaries.
The use of non-forest land falling within the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries may be permitted on payment of an amount equal to the NPV payable for the adjoining forest area.
In respect of non-forest land falling within marine national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, the amount shall be five times the NPV payable for the adjoining forest area.
Full NPV exemption will be provided for diversion of 1-hectare forest land for public utility proposals like schools, playground, hospitals, children playground, community centres, overhead tanks, village tanks, laying of underground drinking water, irrigation and piped natural gas (PNG), pipeline up to 4-inch diameter, electricity distribution line up to 22kv in rural areas.
However, this exemption will be subject to the conditions that no tree felling will be involved and these projects should be of non-commercial nature under government schemes and must be falling outside national parks and sanctuaries.
Besides, the exemption will be allowed for relocation of villages from protected areas. For laying of underground optical fibre cable, full exemption will be allowed provided there is no felling of trees and the area falls outside national parks and sanctuaries.
The new regime will also charge 50% NPV for wind and 25MW hydroelectric projects provided minimal tree felling is involved, irrespective of the eco-class in which the project lies. Field firing range (FFR) of defense ministry not involving felling of trees and no likelihood of destruction of forests will be charged 20% NPV.
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