Lok Sabha Question No. 258 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kirit Premjibhai Solanki

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *258

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2022

## Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects

- *258: DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI.

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

- (a) whether the Government has data on the total number of trees which were removed for the purpose of construction and development of public infrastructure projects across the country in 2021 and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) the total  number of trees planted in view of compensatory afforestation in 2021, Statewise and the total amount of funds spent towards this cause;
- (c) whether the number of these trees matched the target of compensatory afforestation set by the Government and if not, the reasons for the same;
- (d) whether the Government has considered mandating compensatory afforestation as part of all public and private infrastructure projects in the country; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  258  BY  DR.  (PROF.)  KIRIT  PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI REGARDING 'CUTTING OF TREES FOR DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS' DUE FOR REPLY ON 21.03.2022

- (a) & (b) The permission for tree felling is accorded by the respective State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations under the provisions of various Acts, Rules, Guidelines and the directions of Hon'ble Courts. However, during 2020-21  proposals  involving  30,97,721  number  of  trees  have  been  accorded prior approval under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 by the Ministry.

The State/UT wise details of total number of trees stipulated for felling, trees planted in view of Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and the funds spent are annexed.

- (c) The approvals of diversion proposals under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is a continuous process. The State Governments/UT Administrations are required to carry  out  Compensatory  Afforestation  in  lieu  of  forest  areas  allowed  to  be diverted for non-forestry use.
- (d) & (e) Compensatory  Afforestation  (CA)  is  an  essential  condition  which  is  imposed when forest land is allowed to be used  for non-forestry purpose under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

| Annexure referred to part (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 258 regarding 'Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects' asked by DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI to be answered on 21 st March, 2022   | Annexure referred to part (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 258 regarding 'Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects' asked by DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI to be answered on 21 st March, 2022   | Annexure referred to part (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 258 regarding 'Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects' asked by DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI to be answered on 21 st March, 2022   | Annexure referred to part (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 258 regarding 'Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects' asked by DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI to be answered on 21 st March, 2022   | Annexure referred to part (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 258 regarding 'Cutting of Trees for Developmental Projects' asked by DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI to be answered on 21 st March, 2022   |
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| During 2020-2021                                                                                                                                                                                                            | During 2020-2021                                                                                                                                                                                                            | During 2020-2021                                                                                                                                                                                                            | During 2020-2021                                                                                                                                                                                                            | During 2020-2021                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| S. No.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | State/UTs                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | No of Trees involved in proposals approved under FCA, 1980                                                                                                                                                                  | No of seedlings planted against Compensatory Afforestation (CA)                                                                                                                                                             | Amount (in crore ₹) for CA                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 5311                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 0.01                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 69969                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 483362.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 7.39                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 6255                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Assam                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 37880                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 77800.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 2.88                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 5                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 61244                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 2420607.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 19.68                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 6                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Chandigarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 14000.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 7                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 7512                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 983820.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 11.32                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 8                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Dadar& Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu                                                                                                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 9                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Delhi                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 55343.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 0.97                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 10                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Goa                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 27429                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 200000.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.49                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 11                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 86887                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 1133042.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 52.41                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 12                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 27612                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 1240000.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 45.52                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 13                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 26886                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 1180232.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 5.50                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 14                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 461                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 1447000.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 18.80                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 15                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 104750                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 4501353.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 8.50                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 16                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 40231                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 300848.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.04                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 17                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Kerala                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 71                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 128836.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.46                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 18                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Lakshdeep                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 19                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 1640532                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 3555057.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 2.66                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 20                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 145294                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 652809.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.12                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 21                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Manipur                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 3542104.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 5.48                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 22                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 58                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 28259.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 1.34                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 23                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Mizoram                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 1360150.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 7.75                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 24                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Nagaland                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 25                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Odisha                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 223375                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 1951220.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 31.52                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 26                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Pondicherry                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 27                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Punjab                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 32511                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 311993.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.79                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 28                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 8619                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 1705578.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 23.41                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 29                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 116647.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.16                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 30                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 7691                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 0.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 31                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Telangana                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 153720                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 4103050.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 35.45                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 32                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Tripura                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | 17686                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 203086.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 0.39                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 33                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 311998                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 1317700.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 14.50                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 34                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 53739                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 3208008.00                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 48.28                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 35                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | West Bengal Total                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 0 3097721                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 265761.00 36487665.00                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 1.05 358.87                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |