Lok Sabha Question No. 2827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Felling of Trees for Developmental Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2827

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2023

## Felling of Trees for Developmental Projects

2827: SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY.

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

- (a) the number of trees that have been felled for the construction of National Highways, State Highways and runways at airports;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the prior permission for cutting/ felling of trees has been taken; and
- (d) the efforts made to replace the trees that have been cut for such projects and the number of trees planted, State/project-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to (c) The proposals for diversion of forest land including those for construction of National Highways, State Highways and runways at airports are considered for approval on case to case basis under the provisions of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. As per the conditions of approval the States/UTs concerned have to ensure that minimum number of trees are felled and wherever possible translocation of trees  is  done.  The  permission  for  felling  of  trees  are  given  by  the  concerned States/UTs under various Acts, Rules, Guidelines and the directions of Hon'ble Courts. The data of trees felled in such cases is not maintained at the level of the Ministry.
- (d) Whenever the Central Government accords prior approval for use of forest land for non-forestry purpose, the cost of the Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and the Net Present Value (NPV) of the land is realised from the User Agency as per norms.   Moreover,  additional  mitigation  measures  such  as  Soil  and  Moisture Conservation works, Catchment Area Treatment Plan and Wildlife Management Plan etc. are also stipulated on case-to-case basis.

As per information received from States/UTs the details of the Compensatory Afforestation  State/UT/year-wise  taken  up  during  2020-21  to  2022-23  are  at Annexure-I.

*****

| Annexure-I                                                                                              | Annexure-I                                                                                              | Annexure-I                                                                                              | Annexure-I                                                                                              | Annexure-I                                                                                              |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| RUDY to be answered on 07.08.2023 State/UT wise details of the Compensatory Afforestation (Area in Ha.) | RUDY to be answered on 07.08.2023 State/UT wise details of the Compensatory Afforestation (Area in Ha.) | RUDY to be answered on 07.08.2023 State/UT wise details of the Compensatory Afforestation (Area in Ha.) | RUDY to be answered on 07.08.2023 State/UT wise details of the Compensatory Afforestation (Area in Ha.) | RUDY to be answered on 07.08.2023 State/UT wise details of the Compensatory Afforestation (Area in Ha.) |
| S. No.                                                                                                  | State / UT                                                                                              | 2020-21                                                                                                 | 2021-22                                                                                                 | 2022-23                                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                                       | A&N                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       | 36.56                                                                                                   |
| 2                                                                                                       | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                          | 5645                                                                                                    | 5777                                                                                                    | 4439.04                                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                                       | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                       | 1830.17                                                                                                 | 12193.93                                                                                                | 4458.67                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                       | Assam                                                                                                   | 79.26                                                                                                   | 120.62                                                                                                  | 45.28                                                                                                   |
| 5                                                                                                       | Bihar                                                                                                   | 1661.506                                                                                                | 0                                                                                                       | 1,321.09                                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                                       | Chandigarh                                                                                              | 14                                                                                                      | 0.79                                                                                                    | 0.14                                                                                                    |
| 7                                                                                                       | Chhattisgarh                                                                                            | 3037.289                                                                                                | 1763.154                                                                                                | 490.545                                                                                                 |
| 8                                                                                                       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       |
| 9                                                                                                       | Delhi                                                                                                   | 47.54                                                                                                   | 23.02                                                                                                   | 90.48                                                                                                   |
| 10                                                                                                      | Goa                                                                                                     | 200                                                                                                     | 200                                                                                                     | 299                                                                                                     |
| 11                                                                                                      | Gujarat                                                                                                 | 1547.41                                                                                                 | 6458.55                                                                                                 | 8909.88                                                                                                 |
| 12                                                                                                      | Haryana                                                                                                 | 1240.02                                                                                                 | 1870.22                                                                                                 | 1608.83                                                                                                 |
| 13                                                                                                      | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                        | 876                                                                                                     | 954.36                                                                                                  | 886                                                                                                     |
| 14                                                                                                      | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                          | 12474                                                                                                   | 9495                                                                                                    | 12349                                                                                                   |
| 15                                                                                                      | Jharkhand                                                                                               | 12079.02                                                                                                | 12412.86                                                                                                | 17600.83                                                                                                |
| 16                                                                                                      | Karnataka                                                                                               | 15780.62                                                                                                | 9895.27                                                                                                 | 10543.85                                                                                                |
| 17                                                                                                      | Kerala                                                                                                  | 431.59                                                                                                  | 619.03                                                                                                  | 65                                                                                                      |
| 18                                                                                                      | Ladakh                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       |
| 18                                                                                                      | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                          | 4493.98                                                                                                 | 2765.52                                                                                                 | 6365                                                                                                    |
| 19                                                                                                      | Maharashtra                                                                                             | 633.57                                                                                                  | 218.35                                                                                                  | 182.278                                                                                                 |
| 20                                                                                                      | Manipur                                                                                                 | 666.94                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       |
| 21                                                                                                      | Meghalaya                                                                                               | 25.69                                                                                                   | 286.74                                                                                                  | 58.455                                                                                                  |
| 22                                                                                                      | Mizoram                                                                                                 | 1236.5                                                                                                  | 1303.78                                                                                                 | 29.96                                                                                                   |
| 23                                                                                                      | Nagaland                                                                                                | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       |
| 24                                                                                                      | Odisha                                                                                                  | 4007.61                                                                                                 | 3948.72                                                                                                 | 4665.56                                                                                                 |
| 25                                                                                                      | Punjab                                                                                                  | 4769.99                                                                                                 | 5721.99                                                                                                 | 5375                                                                                                    |
| 26                                                                                                      | Rajasthan                                                                                               | 12097.85                                                                                                | 18323.52                                                                                                | 10711.79                                                                                                |
| 27                                                                                                      | Sikkim                                                                                                  | 106.04                                                                                                  | 183.98                                                                                                  | 94.67                                                                                                   |
| 28                                                                                                      | Tamil Nadu                                                                                              | 0                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                       | 82.57                                                                                                   |
| 29                                                                                                      | Telangana                                                                                               | 4178.16                                                                                                 | 2490.07                                                                                                 | 2052.71                                                                                                 |
| 30                                                                                                      | Tripura                                                                                                 | 182.8                                                                                                   | 391.86                                                                                                  | 566.4                                                                                                   |
| 31                                                                                                      | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                           | 1070.08                                                                                                 | 1011.08                                                                                                 | 1538.98                                                                                                 |
| 32                                                                                                      | Uttarakhand                                                                                             | 2597.28                                                                                                 | 2552.05                                                                                                 | 2415                                                                                                    |
| 33                                                                                                      | West Bengal                                                                                             | 122.42                                                                                                  | 282.032                                                                                                 | 130.325                                                                                                 |
|                                                                                                         | Total                                                                                                   | 93132.34                                                                                                | 101263.5                                                                                                | 97412.9                                                                                                 |