HYDERABAD: Sindh forest department has finally released the Sindh Sustainable Forest Management Policy (Amended), 2023, after purging it of all provisions for the promotion of ‘agricultural activity’ on forestland in riverine area to ensure the riverine forests are exclusively used for forestation instead of crops’ cultivation.

One of the key targets of the policy 2023-35 was to bring forest cover back on 100pc plantable area with the involvement mainly of private sector investment and protection through effective contractual agreements under public private partnership mode, according to the policy document published in Sindh Gazette on May 18.

Initially, the policy 2019 was notified in February 2020 but it was stayed by Sindh High Court’s Sukkur bench, which termed it violative of Forest Act 1927 and restrained the department from implementing it.

As per court’ directives, “forestlands are to be utilized for the development and preservation of forestry produce that does not include ‘cultivation of crops on the reserved forestlands”.

Hence, “all paragraphs, mentioning agro-forestry, its tariffs, schedule and different options have been excluded to make Sindh Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2019 compliant with international standards of forest management and the court’s orders,” said Sindh secretary of forests Dr Badar Jamil Mendhro while briefing the provincial cabinet on the amended policy in April this year.

The chair, Sindh chief minister, approved the amended policy and constituted a committee comprising ministers for revenue, agriculture and forests to frame policy guidelines for the removal of encroachments from forestland.

The policy 2019 had talked about 100pc plantable under a new reform process under ‘long term objectives’ component. The policy sets the target “to bring the forest cover back on 100pc plantable area under a new reform process that aligns interests of the department personnel and that of the department involving local communities in forest raising and protection through effective contractual agreements”.

In order to achieve the target, lands would be made available under partnership framework for afforestation through local partnerships as described in Annexure-2.

The policy said: “The new policy framework aims to raise 100pc plant-able area under forest through ‘phased approach or afforestation’ plan to be selected by local planting partners after a transparent process as envisaged in Annexure-2. The planting partner would be paying land rent/tariff and security deposit.”

“Actually, ‘Annexure-2’ was the instrument that was to be used for promoting and increasing forest area under ‘agricultural activity’ on forestlands,” said a forest official. Annexure-2, he explained, could be termed a de facto policy within “policy 2019” and that was the reason the policy was stayed by the SHC, he said.

The SHC’s April 28, 2020 order, authored by Justice Amjad Ali Sahito had stayed the implementation of the policy 2019 and observed that “it has undeniably come on record not only framing such policies but also negligence on part of the department and its officials have resulted in allowing ‘feudal lords’ and influential persons to not only encroach upon forestland but also cut down trees while illegally continuing possession of leased land despite the fact the terms were prima facie not being followed.

It ruled: “Those in possession (of forestland) have been cultivating sugar cane, banana orchards and valuable crops in the name of ketis [mostly run by baronial landlords inside riverine area of the Indus.”

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2023