Tamil Nadu Assembly approves Bill to amend Forest Act and speed up afforestation process

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Forest Act of 1882. This change aims to speed up the process of designating compensatory afforestation lands as reserved forests. The Bill simplifies the lengthy procedures for declaring land as reserved forest. It allows for quicker action when forest land is used for non-forest purposes, requiring the user to provide land for compensatory afforestation. Additionally, the Bill delegates the authority to issue notifications under the Act to a District Collector, streamlining the process further.