Lok Sabha Question No. 1105 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-07
Subject: Cutting of Trees
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1105 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2020

## Cutting of Trees

1105:   SHRI B.B. PATIL:

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

- (a) the number of trees cut in the country for development purposes during the last three years, year-wise, State and UT-wise and;
- (b) the action Government  proposes  to  take  to  ensure that trees are not cut for development and other purposes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

- (a) &(b) The  Government  Policy  is  to  ensure  more  trees  are  planted  than  removed  under different developmental proposals approved under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. In the last three years 76,72,337 number of trees were removed and plantation of more than 7,87,00,000 trees have been stipulated under compensatory afforestation. The year wise details of trees removed and stipulated for plantation are annexed.

The trees are removed only when it is absolutely necessary. As a general policy, more trees are planted than number of trees approved for removal under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. This policy has been contributing to the increase in India's forest cover. As per the provisions of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, Government of India accords prior permission for change in land use from forest to non-forest. Such permissions  are  accorded  subject  to  recommendation  of  the  concerned  State/UT Government  and  for  unavoidable  developmental  projects/purposes.  While  according such permissions, it is ensured that minimum number of trees are removed which are inevitable.

Government's efforts to plant more trees than removed has also been reflected in the assessments  in  biennial  India  State  of  Forest  Reports  (ISFR)  by  Forest  Survey  of India.The forest and tree cover as reported in ISFR-2019 has increased by 13,209sq km as compared to that of ISFR 2015 assessment.

***

Annexure

| S. No.   | State/Uts               | Permission of removal of tree (nos.) against the FCA approvals   | Permission of removal of tree (nos.) against the FCA approvals   | Permission of removal of tree (nos.) against the FCA approvals   | Total          |
|----------|-------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
| S. No.   | State/Uts               | 2016-2017                                                        | 2017-2018                                                        | 2018-2019                                                        | Total          |
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar     | 6385                                                             | 947                                                              | 5135                                                             | 12467          |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh          | 41633                                                            | 255039                                                           | 198597                                                           | 495269         |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh       | 3623                                                             | 309639                                                           | 11998                                                            | 325260         |
| 4        | Assam                   | 787                                                              | 309                                                              | 117799                                                           | 118895         |
| 5        | Bihar                   | 6332                                                             | 42274                                                            | 43244                                                            | 91850          |
| 6        | Chandigarh              | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh            | 173033                                                           | 64747                                                            | 427352                                                           | 665132         |
| 8        | Dadar &Nagar Haveli     | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 9        | Daman &Diu              | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 10       | Delhi                   | 3178                                                             | 58                                                               | 0                                                                | 3236           |
| 11       | Goa                     | 0                                                                | 3765                                                             | 0                                                                | 3765           |
| 12       | Gujarat                 | 12990                                                            | 70086                                                            | 82363                                                            | 165439         |
| 13       | Haryana                 | 29221                                                            | 35825                                                            | 107148                                                           | 172194         |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh        | 4168                                                             | 55370                                                            | 102139                                                           | 161677         |
| 15       | Jammu &Kashmir          | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 16       | Jharkhand               | 15748                                                            | 11907                                                            | 406929                                                           | 434584         |
| 17       | Karnataka               | 17518                                                            | 21428                                                            | 1830                                                             | 40776          |
| 18       | Kerala                  | 194                                                              | 0                                                                | 531                                                              | 725            |
| 19       | Lakshdeep               | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 20       | Madhya Pradesh          | 259415                                                           | 368503                                                           | 326849                                                           | 954767         |
| 21       | Maharashtra             | 599472                                                           | 329019                                                           | 144993                                                           | 1073484        |
| 22       | Manipur                 | 3102                                                             | 120786                                                           | 0                                                                | 123888         |
| 23       | Meghalaya               | 317                                                              | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 317            |
| 24       | Mizoram                 | 339                                                              | 220                                                              | 189                                                              | 748            |
| 25       | Nagaland                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 26       | Orissa                  | 22218                                                            | 274703                                                           | 361544                                                           | 658465         |
| 27       | Pondicherry             | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0                                                                | 0              |
| 28       | Punjab                  | 12493                                                            | 121453                                                           | 95005                                                            | 228951         |
| 29       | Rajasthan               | 205339                                                           | 324                                                              | 22917                                                            | 228580         |
| 30       | Sikkim                  | 885                                                              | 6387                                                             | 1358                                                             | 8630           |
| 31       | Tamil Nadu              | 936                                                              | 270                                                              | 819                                                              | 2025           |
| 32       | Telangana               | 32407                                                            | 658104                                                           | 522242                                                           | 1212753        |
| 33       | Tripura                 | 248                                                              | 215                                                              | 120                                                              | 583            |
| 34       | Uttar Pradesh           | 95295                                                            | 81060                                                            | 29196                                                            | 205551         |
| 35       | Uttarakhand             | 14072                                                            | 69623                                                            | 21766                                                            | 105461         |
| 36       | West Bengal Grand Total | 170609 1731957                                                   | 1677 2903738                                                     | 4579 3036642                                                     | 176865 7672337 |