Lok Sabha Question No. 1214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-22
Subject: Ecological Imbalance
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1214

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.12.2017

## Ecological Imbalance

## 1214.  SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY:

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

- (a)  whether the Government is aware of the fact that diversion of forest land for non forestry purposes including mining has caused ecological imbalance;
- (b)  if so, the details of the forest land diverted for such purposes in the country during the last three years and the current year State/UT-wise including Jharkhand;
- (c)  the  extent  to  which  ecological  imbalance  has  deteriorated  due  to  mining  activities  in  the country; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to check diversion of forest land for mining purposes and restore ecological balance?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) to  (d) Yes, the details of the forest land diverted for non forestry purposes in the country during the last three years, State/UT wise including Jharkhand is annexed at Annexure 'A'.

Non  forestry  activities  including  mining  have  potential  for  impacting  the  environment  and ecological  balance.    Deforestation  for  mining  may  inter  alia  lead  to  soil  erosion  and  water pollution, impact flora and fauna etc.  However sufficient care is taken to make good possible damage to forest, wildlife and forest-ecosystem while forest clearances are given for use of forest land for non forestry purposes as per provision of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

'Mitigative measures in the form of general, standard and specific conditions are mandated with every clearance granted.

General conditions inter-alia including raising the Compensatory Afforestation (CA),  imposition of  Net  Present  Value  (NPV)  to  reduce  the  adverse  impact  of  the  diversion  of  forest  land, demarcation  of  boundary  of  the  diverted  forest  land,  minimum  tree  felling,  arrangement  of alternate fuels, etc. are imposed.

OIH

Standard conditions specific to projects viz. mining are also stipulated in the approvals granted for  diversion  of  forest  land.    Standard  conditions  inter-alia  includes  phase  wise  mining operations, management  of  safety  zone, reclamation of quarry, conservation of topsoil, preparation  and  implementation  of  Catchment  Area  Treatment  Plan,  muck  disposal  plan.    In addition to general and standard conditions, specific conditions are also stipulated in the approval based on the recommendation made by the Forest Advisory Committee.

.

## ANNEXURE-A

## State-wise details of proposals accorded approvals under FC Act, 1980 for non-forestry purposes including mining for three last years

| Category : All Categories   | Category : All Categories   | During the Period: 2014 to 2017   | During the Period: 2014 to 2017   |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| S. No.                      | STATEs / Uts                | No. of Cases                      | Total Land Diverted (Ha.)         |
| Andaman and Nicobar         | 8                           |                                   | 1 24.19                           |
| Andhra Pradesh              |                             | 28                                | 2 3669.43                         |
| Arunachal                   | Pradesh                     | 28                                | 3 1086.34                         |
| Bihar                       |                             | 75                                | 4 658.93                          |
| Chandigarh                  | 3                           |                                   | 5 40.25                           |
| Chhattisgarh                | 38                          |                                   | 6 5048.40                         |
| Dadar &Nagar Haveli         | 2                           |                                   | 7 1.51                            |
| Delhi                       |                             | 4                                 | 8 15.15                           |
| Goa                         |                             | 5                                 | 9 41.59                           |
| Gujarat                     | 98                          |                                   | 10 1265.21                        |
| Haryana                     | 796                         |                                   | 11 7961.17                        |
| Himachal Pradesh            |                             | 60                                | 12 745.50                         |
| Jharkhand                   | 23                          |                                   | 13 3126.09                        |
| Karnataka                   | 57                          |                                   | 14 717.60                         |
| Kerala                      |                             | 5                                 | 15 26.61                          |
| Madhya Pradesh              | 98                          |                                   | 16 8047.42                        |
| 17 Maharashtra              | 40                          |                                   | 6345.87                           |
| Manipur                     |                             | 10                                | 18 776.90                         |
| Meghalaya                   |                             | 2                                 | 19 142.93                         |
| Mizoram                     |                             | 2                                 | 20 74.73                          |
|                             | Orissa                      | 69                                | 21 6140.64                        |
| 22 Punjab                   | 566                         |                                   | 912.40                            |
| 23                          | Rajasthan                   | 50                                | 4392.66                           |
| 24 Sikkim                   |                             | 16                                | 83.72                             |
| 25                          | Tamil Nadu                  | 13                                | 538.45                            |

***

| 26    | Telangana      | 20    | 7388.54   |
|-------|----------------|-------|-----------|
| 27    | Tripura 11     | 94.58 |           |
| 28    | Uttar Pradesh  | 9     | 609.87    |
| 29    | Uttarakhand 91 |       | 2107.01   |
| 30    | West Bengal 10 |       | 285.17    |
| Total | Total          | 2237  | 62368.87  |