Lok Sabha Question No. 183 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Forest Clearances for Infrastructure and Industrial Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Sukhdeo Bhagat

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 183

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## Forest Clearances for Infrastructure and Industrial Projects

## 183. SHRI SUKHDEO BHAGAT

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

- (a) whether as per the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its 2023 State of India's Environment Report, forest clearances for infrastructure and Industrial Projects has increased by over 150 per cent from 2014 to 2023; and
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor despite Government's international commitments to increase forest cover under Paris Agreement?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (b) The process  of approvals  for diversion  of  forest  land  for  various  non-forestry purposes  under  Van  (Sanrakshan  Evam  Samvarshan)  Adhiniyam,  1980  is  a continuous process. During the period from 2014-15 to 2023-24, the forest area measuring 173984.3 ha. has been approved to be used for various non-forestry purposes including infrastructure and industrial projects under the provisions of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The category wise detail of diverted forest land is enclosed at Annexure.

The forestland is allowed to be used for non-forestry purposes in unavoidable circumstances  with  adequate  mitigation  measures  including  the  raising  of Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and payment of Net Present Value (NPV). The additional mitigation measures in the form of Soil and Moisture Conservation works,  Catchment  Area  Plan  and  Wildlife  Management  plan  etc.  are  also stipulated on case-to-case basis.

*****

## Annexure referred to part (a) to (b) of  the  LSUQ No. 183 dated 21.07.2025 regarding 'Forest Clearances for Infrastructure and Industrial Projects  ' asked by Shri Sukhdeo Bhagat

| Category :- All State / UTs   | Category :- All State / UTs   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   | During the Period: 01.04.2014 to 31.03.2024   |
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                        | Category                      | 2014- 2015                                    | 2015- 2016                                    | 2016- 2017                                    | 2017- 2018                                    | 2018- 2019                                    | 2019- 2020                                    | 2020- 2021                                    | 2021- 2022                                    | 2022- 2023                                    | 2023- 2024                                    | Grand Total                                   |
| 1                             | Canal                         | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 5.89                                          | 6.88                                          | 3.02                                          | 2.70                                          | 18.50                                         |
| 2                             | Communication Post            | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 6.54                                          | 6.54                                          |
| 3                             | Defence                       | 1231.00                                       | 180.00                                        | 0.98                                          | 3636.83                                       | 4159.09                                       | 187.44                                        | 2601.08                                       | 421.94                                        | 261.26                                        | 2288.51                                       | 14968.14                                      |
| 4                             | Dispensary/Hospital           | 39.86                                         | 0.02                                          | 2.20                                          | 0.17                                          | 41.37                                         | 0.00                                          | 1.10                                          | 11.02                                         | 6.81                                          | 10.76                                         | 113.31                                        |
| 5                             | Drinking Water                | 6.04                                          | 69.54                                         | 28.00                                         | 21.06                                         | 17.37                                         | 234.92                                        | 513.78                                        | 63.46                                         | 144.36                                        | 183.69                                        | 1282.21                                       |
| 6                             | Encroachments                 | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 1.25                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 8.38                                          | 0.00                                          | 9.63                                          |
| 7                             | Forest Village Conversion     | 0.00                                          | 966.20                                        | 0.00                                          | 929.04                                        | 285.70                                        | 0.00                                          | 210.00                                        | 298.27                                        | 394.80                                        | 166.00                                        | 3250.00                                       |
| 8                             | Hydel / Irrigation            | 2369.07                                       | 2282.29                                       | 3637.85                                       | 4170.11                                       | 5488.24                                       | 7447.55                                       | 2135.53                                       | 2007.30                                       | 2486.40                                       | 8113.96                                       | 40138.31                                      |
| 9                             | Industry                      | 1.23                                          | 66.31                                         | 0.91                                          | 37.15                                         | 181.28                                        | 12.51                                         | 43.27                                         | 31.96                                         | 5.93                                          | 25.26                                         | 405.82                                        |
| 10                            | Mining / Quarrying            | 5839.45                                       | 3940.42                                       | 1762.49                                       | 4127.11                                       | 5485.27                                       | 3420.53                                       | 2396.21                                       | 3939.48                                       | 3573.97                                       | 5611.24                                       | 40096.17                                      |
| 11                            | Optical Fibre Cable           | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 15.73                                         | 91.47                                         | 121.67                                        | 94.41                                         | 48.96                                         | 65.40                                         | 437.63                                        |
| 12                            | Others                        | 246.67                                        | 2210.91                                       | 369.54                                        | 1586.32                                       | 525.70                                        | 1276.89                                       | 1430.45                                       | 807.07                                        | 708.50                                        | 507.80                                        | 9669.85                                       |
| 13                            | Petrol Pump                   | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 1884.98                                       | 1884.98                                       |
| 14                            | Pipeline                      | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 18.67                                         | 96.43                                         | 127.13                                        | 162.78                                        | 138.56                                        | 543.57                                        |
| 15                            | Power Sub Station             | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 38.21                                         | 38.21                                         |
| 16                            | Power Transmission Line       | 2429.71                                       | 1193.86                                       | 293.93                                        | 816.99                                        | 974.01                                        | 1484.70                                       | 2281.76                                       | 2731.36                                       | 3072.02                                       | 1954.35                                       | 17232.69                                      |
| 17                            | Railway                       | 653.06                                        | 382.96                                        | 76.22                                         | 1831.98                                       | 236.84                                        | 612.87                                        | 1049.79                                       | 1169.53                                       | 1700.60                                       | 284.78                                        | 7998.65                                       |
| 18                            | Rehabilitation                | 242.39                                        | 0.20                                          | 300.00                                        | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 0.00                                          | 42.50                                         | 86.90                                         | 75.11                                         | 833.45                                        | 1580.55                                       |
| 19                            | Road                          | 1576.29                                       | 2024.44                                       | 1289.34                                       | 2336.53                                       | 2087.34                                       | 2668.30                                       | 5297.73                                       | 4966.41                                       | 4603.30                                       | 3756.01                                       | 30605.69                                      |

| 20          | School / Educational Institution       |     0.98 |     2.44 |    0.64 |     6.96 |    12.79 |     0.18 |     0.03 |    40.87 |     6.23 |    12.35 |     83.46 |
|-------------|----------------------------------------|----------|----------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|
| 21          | Solar Power                            |     0    |     0    |    0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0.01 |     1.09 |     0    |     0.47 |      1.57 |
| 22          | Sub Station                            |     0    |     0    |    0    |     0    |     0    |    12.98 |    45.42 |     9.95 |     2.01 |     5.78 |     76.14 |
| 23          | Telecommunication Line                 |     0    |     0    |    0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0.59 |      0.59 |
| 24          | Thermal                                |   395.85 |  2037.55 |    0    |   114.36 |    10.7  |    46.51 |    38.1  |     0    |     0    |     0.95 |   2644.02 |
| 25          | Village Electricity                    |     0    |     0    |    0.49 |     2.2  |    35.78 |    11.92 |     3.19 |   374.1  |   117.42 |     6.03 |    551.13 |
| 26          | Water / Rainwater Harvesting Structure |     0    |     0    |    0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0    |     0.11 |      0.11 |
| 27          | Wind Power                             |   147.34 |    85.11 |   73.33 |    10.76 |    30    |     0    |     0.3  |     0    |     0    |     0    |    346.84 |
| Grand Total | Grand Total                            | 15178.9  | 15442.2  | 7835.92 | 19627.6  | 19587.2  | 17528.7  | 18314.2  | 17189.1  | 17381.9  | 25898.5  | 173984    |