Subsequent Tree Growth on Land Approved for Development Does Not Make It ‘Deemed Forest’: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court delivered a crucial judgment clarifying the concept of deemed forest under Section 2 Forest Conservation Act 1980. The Court held that mere growth of trees or vegetation on land cannot automatically convert it into forest land, especially when the land is already designated for development under a statutory Master Plan. Background of the Case The case arose from a redevelopment project near Bijwasan Railway Station in Delhi.…