New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- A retired forest official has flagged how Assam's restrictive technical criteria to define what is a forest led to 99% of acknowledged woodland - roughly 1,153 of 1,168 hectares - in Dima Hasao region to be stripped of forest safeguards. The dramatic reduction, detailed in a February Central Empowered Committee report, occurred despite state authorities acknowledging the area consists of "unclassed state forest" with 20% to 70% tree cover that "falls within the definition of forest as per the order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India." The revelation comes amid growing concerns about states undermining Supreme Court orders through narrow definitions. Earlier this week, Haryana redefined the "dictionary meaning" of fo...