Environmentalists and local communities are protesting against the “widespread” felling of trees for setting up solar power plants in Rajasthan.
According to the people privy to the matter, large areas of land in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner districts have been leased to private companies by the state governmentfor the development of renewable energy projects, leading to destruction of thousands of trees, including state tree Khejri.
At the forefront of the protests, the Bishnoi community, known for their commitment to environmental conservation, have been urging the forest and revenue authorities to take action to protect the trees and the environment.
Reacting to the development, president of the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Devendra Budiya said, “History is witness that in the year 1730, 363 members of the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan sacrificed their lives to save the Khejri tree under the leadership of fearless Amrita Devi in Khejarli village. Now, once again Khejri and other botanical wealth is being destroyed at a widespread scale, against which our struggle will continue.”
The current provisions of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, which allows a fine of only ₹100 for cutting trees on non-forestry land, have not done much to deter solar companies from cutting trees.
Calling the Act “outdated”, retired principal chief conservator of forests Bharat Taimani said, “The provisions under the Rajasthan Tenancy Act are outdated . These are no longer sufficient to protect the environment. The lack of stringent punishment has encouraged companies to cut trees recklessly.”
“Government land has been given on lease to solar companies, but the custodian of the land is still the state government. In such a situation, cutting the trees growing on the land is like destroying state property. Criminal provisions need to be implemented so that the state tree like Khejri can be saved,” Taimni added.
In 2021, during the construction of a solar power plant in Riwari village of Jaisalmer district, an NGO had approached the Rajasthan high court to express their concerns regarding the large-scale cutting of trees.
Last year, the National Green Tribunal had also taken cognizance of the cutting of hundreds of Khejri trees in Badi Sid village of Jodhpur district. In October 2022, the NGT directed a private solar energy company, that had illegally chopped off 250 protected Khejri trees for a proposed solar plant in Jodhpur district, to plant 10 times the number of trees cut by them.
The NGT had held AMP Energy Green Four Pvt Ltd accountable for the illegal cutting of trees under Section 15 of the NGT Act.
The NGT also directed that a default deposit of ₹2 lakh with the said department to be used for afforestation.
The firm was further held liable to pay a compensation of ₹1 lakh on the pattern of the net present value of environmental services foregone forever, to be deposited with Jodhpur district magistrate within one month to be spent on the restoration of the environment as per the district environment plan.It was also stated in the joint inspection report of the pollution control board, administration and forest department, submitted last year before the NGT regarding the cutting of trees, that the penalty provisions laid down in the Rajasthan Tenancy Act must be reviewed.
Recently, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha and Jeev Raksha Sansthan also filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court on the illegal felling of Khejri, Rohida, and other useful trees on a large scale in Bikaner district under the guise of solar plants. After the preliminary hearing of the petition, the high court had directed the deputy conservator of forests to be held personally responsible for felling of trees in future.
President of Jeev Raksha Sansthan Mokhram Dharania said, “The entire ecology of the Thar Desert rests on Khejri and other trees. Illegal felling of trees is not only causing vegetative damage but also destroying the shelters of wildlife. We are continuously warning the concerned departments, but the matter is being buried by merely imposing a fine. This has boosted the morale of illegal loggers.”
Superintendent of police, Jodhpur, (rural) Dharmendra Singh Yadav stated that in cases of illegal tree felling, action is taken according to the rules. “Recently, we got information about the cutting down of Khejri trees in the under-construction solar plant in Bawdi Barsinga village of Jodhpur district. Quick action was taken, and the trunks of 47 Khejri trees buried in the ground were pulled out.”
According to assistant forest conservator Madan Singh Boda, the provisions of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act only apply to cutting trees in non-forest areas, under which there is a provision for just fine.
