16. (1) If the State Government is satisfied at any time that the provisions of Chapter II of this Act are not or have not been sufficient to secure the due protection of any notified area or forests or that it is necessary in the public interest to apply the provisions of this Chapter to any private area or forest whether notified or not, it may constitute such forest or area, a vested forest in the manner hereinafter provided.
(2) If it appears from the report of a Forest Officer that any waste land the area of which is not less than 50 acres which is lying uncultivated for more than seven years and is suitable for afforestation and the owner of such land is unwilling or unable to cultivate it by growing therein agricultural crops, or to use it for purposes of horticulture to the satisfaction of such Forest Officer or to afforest it the State Government may after satisfying itself that such land cannot be more advantageously used for the purposes of agriculture or horticulture than for the purposes of afforestation, constitute such waste land as vested forest in the manner hereinafter provided.