Lok Sabha Question No. 332 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-18
Subject: Area of Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KIRIT SOMAIYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 332 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2017

## Area of Forest Land

## 332.  DR. KIRIT SOMAIYA:

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

- (a) the details of the total area of land reserved for forests in the State of Maharashtra, areawise;
- (b) the number of people illegally residing on the forest land for several years, area-wise;
- (c) whether the Government is formulating/has formulated any policy to allot pattas to these people for construction of houses and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, whether the Government is likely to evict these people from the forest land along with the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) As per the India State of Forest Report, 2015, published by Forest Survey of India, the extent of Reserved Forests in Maharashtra State is 49, 546 sq. km. and the total forest area in the State is 61, 579 sq. km.
- (b) As reported by Government of Maharashtra, at the end of March 2017, an area of 622.944  sq.km.  of  forest  land  is  under  illegal  occupation  in  97,  488  cases.  The details  of  circle-wise  no.  of  cases  and  area  under  encroachment  are  given  in Annexure.
- (c) As  per  the  Guidelines  under  Forest  (Conservation)  act,  1980,  construction  of houses in Forest land is not permitted. However, as per the provisions contained u/s 3(i) (a) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, claims for 'right to hold and live in the forest  land under the individual or common occupation for habitation or for selfcultivation for livelihood by a member or members of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe or other traditional forest dwellers' if approved by District Level Committee, are being considered for such habitations.
- (d) In the event of any forest land found to be under illegal occupation or forest right claim for the same land under Forest Rights Act, 2006, has not been considered by the  District  Level  Committee,  the  same  is  treated  as  encroachment  and  the encroachers become liable for eviction.

*******

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 332 DUE FOR REPLY ON 18.07.2017 REGARDING AREA OF FORST LAND ASKED BY DR. KIRIT SOMAIYA

| S.No.   | Name of Circle   |   No of cases |   Area under Encroachment (in ha.) |
|---------|------------------|---------------|------------------------------------|
| 1.      | Chandarpur       |          6186 |                           5828.47  |
| 2.      | Gadchiroli       |          8969 |                          10299.2   |
| 3.      | Nagpur           |          3573 |                           2808.95  |
| 4.      | Amravati         |          1488 |                            848.368 |
| 5.      | Yavatmal         |          2072 |                           2525.23  |
| 6.      | Aurangabad       |          4034 |                           6868.42  |
| 7.      | Nashik           |          9598 |                           3845.48  |
| 8.      | Dhule            |         15076 |                          20757.3   |
| 9.      | Thane            |         35406 |                            666.05  |
| 10.     | Pune             |          1445 |                            195.293 |
| 11.     | Kolhapur         |          2094 |                            162.273 |
| 12.     | Nagpur/W         |          2843 |                           2445.59  |
| 13.     | Mumbai/W         |          4704 |                           5043.83  |
| Total   | Total            |         97488 |                          62294.4   |

*****