KOCHI: At a time when the Syro-Malabar Church has launched a protest against the Kerala Forest Amendment Bill, 2024, the Church of South India (CSI) has come out in support of the bill. The Church claimed that the bill addresses critical issues related to forest conservation and provides a framework for mitigating man-animal conflict while protecting wildlife and saving the ecology.
In a representation to the government, CSI Central Kerala Diocese bishop Malayil Sabu Koshy Cherian and environmental advisor Mathew Koshy Punnackadu urged the government to pass the bill without dilution to safeguard the critical ecosystems.
The Church urged the government to enforce the legislation leaving no loopholes for exploitation under the guise of addressing tribal concerns. Tribals have coexisted with forests sustainably for centuries and should be empowered to continue their traditional practices.
Protecting forests from human interventions is critical in combating climate change. Restoring and preserving forest habitats can reduce human-wildlife conflict. Measures such as wildlife corridors and habitat restoration must be prioritised.
The Church also demanded a ban on new constructions in ecologically fragile zones and strictly regulate the existing activities.
The Church advocated the implementation of the Madhav Gadgil report on Western Ghats conservation, which proposed zoning ecologically fragile areas.