(wl-2540)-The Updated Environmental Regulations: High on Promises Nowhere on Provisions

The Monsoon session of the Indian Parliament held from 20th July to 11thAugust 2023 passed three controversial Bills having a far reaching impact on India’s forests, biological resources and marine biodiversity. These three laws include the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 and the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023. All these three legislative amendments have either removed or diluted environmental safeguards to give easy and unaccountable access to natural wealth of the country. Amendments to these three important environmental regulations of India have effectively de-regulate 27.6% of India’s forests, almost all biological resources and traditional knowledge and deep sea mining operations in the 75,000 sq km of Indian Ocean. Experts and specialized institutions have argued that these changes in the law will have a far reaching direct adverse impact on conservation of forest, forest resources, biological resources and marine biodiversity.