The issue of Zudpi Jungle appears to be moving towards a solution. After several meetings and review of the information submitted to it, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) will be on a spot-inspection visit to Nagpur Division from December 26 to December 28. During their visit, the CEC members are likely to visit some of the Zudpi Jungle areas in at least three districts of Nagpur Division, said sources. They will also hold a meeting in Nagpur and take up spot-inspection visits. Earlier, on November 28 this year, Nagpur Divisional Commissionerate had submitted all the relevant information to the CEC at New Delhi. Prior to that, on June 28, 2024, the CEC had conducted a meeting with all the District Collectors in Nagpur Division regarding Zudpi Jungle issue. These meetings followed the Supreme Court directions issued on February 14, 2024.

 

The Apex Court had directed the representatives of Maharashtra Government, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), and the CEC to hold a joint meeting and submit a report about Zudpi Jungle issue. Accordingly, the CEC, on March 8 earlier this year, had asked the State Government representative, that is, Nagpur Divisional Commissioner, to submit information regarding Zudpi Jungle land under encroachment, land under residential use, land under use for public purposes, land under agricultural use, and fragmented land unsuitable for afforestation. As per the official information cited several times over the past years, Nagpur Division has total 9,23,913 hectares classified as ‘Zudpi Jungle’.

 

Of this, as much as 7,47,734 hectares land has been handed over to Forest Department. Of the remaining land, total 92,115 hectares is suitable for afforestation. The remaining 86,409 hectares of land unsuitable for afforestation comprises 27,507.34 hectares under encroachment, 26,672.13 hectares under various non-forestry uses, and 32,229.81 hectares of fragmented lands unsuitable for afforestation. Procedure for declaring 76,337.09 hectares of total 92,115 hectares of Zudpi Jungle lands (suitable for afforestation) as ‘reserved forest’ has been completed. Of this, as of November 2024, 18,297.77 hectares has been notified under Section 20 of the Forest Conservation Act. Under Section 20, the State Government publishes a notification in the Official Gazette, ‘specifying definitely, according to boundary-marks erected or otherwise, the limits of the forest which is to be reserved, and declaring the same to be reserved from a date fixed by the notification’. 

 

 

In 2018, the Revenue and Forest Department had formed a committee to study the vexed issue of Zudpi Jungle because of which many developmental projects in Nagpur Division were stalled. Later on, the Maharashtra Government had accepted the report of the committee headed by Anoop Kumar, the then Divisional Commissioner, and decided to file an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court. The Revenue and Forest Department had authorised the Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur, to take necessary steps to file interlocutory application in the Apex Court with regard to diversion of Zudpi Jungle land for non-forest uses. Then, the Director General (Forests) and Special Secretary had directed the State Revenue and Forest Department to submit a revised draft of ‘simplified procedure’ for diversion of Zudpi Jungle lands for non-forest usage.

 

The Anoop Kumar committee had submitted its well-studied report to Devendra Fadnavis, the then Chief Minister. In the report, the committee held ‘firm view’ that provisions of Forest Conservation Act, 1980, were ‘not applicable’ in respect of Zudpi lands. Also, it had made clear observation that Zudpi lands had never been notified as forests. Quoting a range of references, it had recommended to the State Government to formulate a strategy to convince the Centre to agree to treat 86,409 hectares of Zudpi lands as revenue lands. Else, it had suggested, the State should consider approaching the Supreme Court by filing an interlocutory application with a prayer that these lands did not attract the provisions of Forest Conservation Act.