Lok Sabha Question No. 2834 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Diversion of Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2834

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2021

## Diversion of Forest Land

## 2834.  SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

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

- (a) the extent of forest land diverted for non-forestry activities since 2008 in various States under the Forest Conservation Act 1980, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the  present  status  of  compliance  of  provisions  of  Forest  Rights  Act  (FRA)  especially Community Forest Resource Rights in case of such forest land diversions;
- (c) whether compensation for curtailing/abolishing forest rights of forest dwellers recognized under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has been provided; and
- (d) if so, the details of compensation provided to the affected persons, State/UT-wise?

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

- (a) Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  launched  an  online portal  namely 'PARIVESH' for submission and processing of online proposals for  approval  of  use  of  forest  land  for  non-forestry  purposes  under  Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. As per the information available in the portal a total of 11653 projects involving 2,57,950.41 hectares of forest land have been approved for  non-forest  use  under  Forest  (Conservation)  Act,  1980  during  April  2008  to March 2020. The State/UT-wise details are given in annexure.
- (b) to (d) Compliance  under  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) is ensured prior to any approval for use of forest area for non-forestry purpose under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is accorded.

Land  acquisition  is  undertaken  by  the  Central  and  State  Governments  under various  Central  and  State  Acts,  including  the  Right  to  Fair  Compensation  and Transparency  in  Land  Acquisition,  Rehabilitation  and  Resettlement  Act,  2013 (RFCTLARR Act, 2013) and the provisions of the  RFCTLARR Act, 2013 are implemented by appropriate Government as defined under  Section 3 (e) of  the said Act. As such information on State/UT wise land acquired, rehabilitation and resettlement are not maintained at Central Government level.

Moreover, Section-5 of FRA, inter-alia, empowered Gram Sabha to ensure that;

- i. the decisions taken in Gram Sabha to regulate access to community forest resources  and  stop  any  activity  which  adversely  affects  the  wild  animals, forest and the biodiversity are complied with, and
- ii. the habitat of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers is preserved from any form of destructive practices affecting their cultural and natural heritage;

***

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLEY TO PART (A) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2834 BY SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA REGARDING DIVERSION OF FOREST LAND DUE ON 12.03.2021

Area approved under Forest (Conservation) Act, during the period 01.04.2008 to 31.03.2020

| S. No.   | Name of the State / UT   | Area (in Ha.)   |
|----------|--------------------------|-----------------|
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar      | 46.68           |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh           | 9948.42         |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh        | 10145.26        |
| 4        | Assam                    | 1228.75         |
| 5        | Bihar                    | 5076.41         |
| 6        | Chandigarh               | 42.08           |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh             | 13916.22        |
| 8        | Dadar& Nagar Haveli      | 33.00           |
| 9        | Daman and Diu            | 3.95            |
| 10       | Delhi                    | 18.75           |
| 11       | Goa                      | 1342.15         |
| 12       | Gujarat                  | 10982.01        |
| 13       | Haryana                  | 4767.58         |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh         | 5352.04         |
| 15       | Jammu and Kashmir        | 0.00            |
| 16       | Jharkhand                | 14590.22        |
| 17       | Karnataka                | 4534.35         |
| 18       | Kerala                   | 124.98          |
| 19       | Lakshadweep              | 0.00            |
| 20       | Madhya Pradesh           | 29641.50        |
| 21       | Maharashtra              | 11781.74        |
| 22       | Manipur                  | 2174.60         |
| 23       | Meghalaya                | 387.63          |
| 24       | Mizoram                  | 523.48          |
| 25       | Nagaland                 | 0.00            |
| 26       | Orissa                   | 24483.54        |
| 27       | Pondicherry              | 0.00            |
| 28       | Punjab                   | 59824.89        |
| 29       | Rajasthan                | 11277.84        |
| 30       | Sikkim                   | 1324.71         |
| 31       | Tamil Nadu               | 860.95          |
| 32       | Telangana                | 19949.23        |
| 33       | Tripura                  | 1011.58         |
| 34       | Uttar Pradesh            | 3004.05         |
| 35       | Uttarakhand              | 8844.96         |
| 36       | West Bengal              | 706.86          |
| Total    | Total                    | 257950 . 41     |