Shillong, Dec 4: The cabinet redefined “forests” as a continuous tract of minimum four hectares land that has more than 250 naturally growing trees to counter destruction of environment in the mineral rich areas of the state.
Approving the Meghalaya Forest Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2012, Meghalaya Forest Minister Prestone Tynsong said the amendment adds another clause wherein forest area is clearly defined.
“An area would be forest if it is a compact or continuous tract of minimum 4 hectares land, irrespective of ownership and has more than 250 trees of 15 cm diameter,” Tynsong told reporters adding that a qualifying number of 100 bamboo clumps per hectare would also fall under the new definition.
Cabinet, however, has set aside lands used for traditional agriculture by the tribal population irrespective of the density of vegetation growing on it while stating that all recorded forests of
the state government or the autonomous district councils would remain so irrespective of the size and number of trees.- By Our Reporter
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