GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 738

TO BE ANSWRERED ON 25.07.2016

Loss of forest cover

738. SHRI AJAY SANCHETI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

(a)  the details of forest cover lost for Government and private projects during the last ten years, State-wise;

(b)  whether the land near forests and mountains is being acquired in a large scale in metropolitan cities like Pune and Gurgaon for building houses;

(c)  if so, the details in this regard; and

(d)  the steps taken to protect such land from the clutches of land mafia?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)FORENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a) to (d) / During last ten years and current year, the Central Government has accorded approvals over 2,45,288 ha of forest land in 11580 cases for public and private sector projects. State wise details of approvals granted by the Central Government for use of forest land for such activities is given at Annexure-I
Such forest lands diverted under Forest (conservation ) Act 1980 are monitored by State Governments and Regional Offices of MOEF & CC to ensure that diverted forest land is used for the purpose for which it has been diverted.
The protection and management of Forest is primarily the responsibility of the concerned state /UT Government and hence action to protect such forest lands is taken as per provisions of various acts and various rules and regulation therof by the states.
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Annexure-I

Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (d) of the RajyaSabhaUnstarred Question No. 738

State wise Details of area approved under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 by the Central Government for various development proposals during the last ten years and current year (01.01.2005 to 20.07.2016)

S. No. / STATE / UT / Grand Total
No. of Cases / Total Land Diverted (Ha.)
1 / Andaman and Nicobar / 33 / 166.679
2 / Andhra Pradesh / 167 / 10121.5
3 / Arunachal Pradesh / 115 / 5693.6
4 / Assam / 105 / 999.417
5 / Bihar / 123 / 4335.93
6 / Chandigarh / 16 / 54.6058
7 / Chhattisgarh / 192 / 15599
8 / Dadar& Nagar Haveli / 45 / 19.9494
9 / Daman and Diu / 1 / 3.95
10 / Delhi / 12 / 38.2465
11 / Goa / 39 / 1458.89
12 / Gujarat / 566 / 9065.37
13 / Haryana / 2310 / 2776.52
14 / Himachal Pradesh / 842 / 5529.99
16 / Jharkhand / 192 / 15839.8
17 / Karnataka / 219 / 8644.74
18 / Kerala / 35 / 282.886
20 / Madhya Pradesh / 366 / 18679.1
21 / Maharashtra / 361 / 12432.6
22 / Manipur / 17 / 2168.72
23 / Meghalaya / 19 / 384.358
24 / Mizoram / 5 / 459.255
26 / Orissa / 213 / 21027
28 / Punjab / 2422 / 59071.5
29 / Rajasthan / 274 / 11524
30 / Sikkim / 210 / 1451.01
31 / Tamil Nadu / 80 / 817.711
32 / Telangana / 94 / 11355.5
33 / Tripura / 144 / 6239.4
34 / Uttar Pradesh / 575 / 6244.56
35 / Uttarakhand / 1745 / 11927.7
36 / West Bengal / 43 / 874.508
Total / 11580 / 245288.00