56,000 trees were planted on the ancestral homeland of the Juang community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribe, to compensate for deforestation for iron ore mining. Was there free, prior, and informed consent for the establishment of this plantation, as mandated by the Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Forest Rights Act?
Case Analysis
The Panasuan compensatory afforestation has been taken up to compensate for the Putulipani Iron Ore mines project. The compensatory plantation of was initiated in 2012 on 46 ha. of land, with a total of 56,000 trees to be planted at a total cost of Rs. 15 Lakhs.
Satellite Imagery Analysis
Satellite imagery from 2010 reveals that the whole site was under long fallow agriculture by the Juangs and given its nature, is highly capable of regenerating into secondary forests. However, the forest department seems to have displaced the Juangs (between February and May 2016) and reports planting 56,000 trees (likely teak and acacia) in their agricultural land.
Implications
Panasuan is located in Juang Pirh, the ancestral homeland of the Particularly Vulnerable Juang tribes.
Customarily all the land in the area belong to Juangs who follow a long fallow agricultural system. This sustainable system has been followed by Juangs for time immemorable.
It is under 5th schedule of the constitution and the Juangs have filed a Habitat Rights claim under the Forest Rights Act for the whole area.
If this plantation has been carried out without Free, Prior, and Informed Consent from Juangs, this seems to be a serious case of displacement of PVTGs, punishable under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.
e-Green Watch Record
