Lok Sabha Question No. 2715 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-06
Subject: Forest Area in West Bengal
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dilip Ghosh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  2715

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.03.2020

## Forest Area in West Bengal

## 2715.    SHRI DILIP GHOSH:

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

- (a) the total forest area in the State of West Bengal;
- (b) whether the forest  area in  West Bengal is declining, if so, the details thereof  along with the reasons therefor and the steps taken to check its decline;
- (c)  whether  any  proposal  has  been  received  by  the  Government  for  diversion  of  forest land from West Bengal during the last five years; and
- (d) the details of such sanctioned forest based projects and those pending for approval by the  Union  Government  along  with  the  funds  allocated  in  the  State  of  West  Bengal during the last three years?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) &  (b)  Forest  Survey  of  India,  Dehradun,  an  organization  under  the  Ministry,  carries  out assessment of the country's forest cover biennially and publishes its findings in India State  of  Forest  Report  (ISFR).  As  per  ISFR  2019,  the  recorded  forest  area  of  West Bengal is 11,879 square kilometer (km 2 ).  There  has  been  no  decline  in  the recorded forest  area of the State compared to the previous assessment reported in ISFR 2017. However, the forest  cover  in  the  State  has  increased  by  54.51  km 2 compared  to  the previous assessment.
- (c) & (d) In the last five years, a total of 22 proposals have been received by the Ministry from Government  of  West  Bengal  for  approval  to  use  forest land for non-forestry purposeunder the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Final approval has been given by the Ministry in six (6) cases and in-principle approval in twelve (12) cases. Remaining four (4) cases have been returned to the Government of West Bengal for  providing  complete  information.  At  present,  no  proposal  from  West  Bengal  is pending  in  the  Ministry  for  approval.  Details  are  given  in Annexure. In  cases  of approval  of  use  of  forest  land  for  non-forestry  purpose,  compensatory  levies  are deposited  in  the  Compensatory  Afforestation  Management  and  Planning  Authority (CAMPA) funds .

A total sum of Rs. 42.20 Crore was released by Adhoc CAMPA to the State of West Bengal during the last three years (2016-17 to 2018-19).

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Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2715 regarding 'Forest Area in West Bengal' due for answer on 06.03.2020

Details of proposals received by Government of India  from Government of West Bengal  during the last five yearsseeking approval for use of forest land for non-forestry purpose

| S. No.      | Financial Year   | No of proposals received   | Final Approval   | Final Approval               | Status of remaining proposals (No pendency at Govt. of India level)   | Status of remaining proposals (No pendency at Govt. of India level)           |
|-------------|------------------|----------------------------|------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.      | Financial Year   | No of proposals received   | No.              | Total Area approved (in Ha.) | In-Principle Approval                                                 | Proposals returned to Govt. of West Bengal for providing complete information |
| 1           | 2014-2015        | 3                          | 2                | 26.98                        | 1                                                                     | 0                                                                             |
| 2           | 2015-2016        | 2                          | 1                | 12.288                       | 0                                                                     | 1                                                                             |
| 3           | 2016-2017        | 5                          | 0                | 0                            | 4                                                                     | 1                                                                             |
| 4           | 2017-2018        | 7                          | 3                | 106.363                      | 3                                                                     | 1                                                                             |
| 5           | 2018-2019        | 5                          | 0                | 0                            | 4                                                                     | 1                                                                             |
| Grand Total | Grand Total      | 22                         | 6                | 145.631                      | 12                                                                    | 4                                                                             |