Lok Sabha Question No. 1695 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Diversion of Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1695

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## Diversion of Forest Land

## 1695. SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY:

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

- (a) the details of the amount collected in lieu of diversion of forest land for non-forest use till date;
- (b) whether the Government has fixed a target to bring 1/3rd of the geographical area under forest cover;
- (c)  if so, the extent to which the said target has been achieved till date;
- (d) the details of the collected amount utilized for afforestation during the last three years, State-wise, especially in Karnataka; and
- (e) the  details  of  funds  collected  through  Public  Private  Partnership  for  increasing  the forest  cover  and  density  of  forests  during  the  last  three  years,  particularly  in Karnataka?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) An amount of Rs. 94,843.60 crore has been received from various user agencies as compensatory levies in lieu of diversion of forest land for non-forest use till December, 2024  since  inception  of  Ad-hoc  CAMPA.  These  compensatory  levies  are  utilised  for compensatory afforestation and improvement of quality of forests for compensating the loss  of  forest  land  and  ecosystem  services.  These  funds  are  maintained  in  the  Public Account of India and the Public Account of respective State and Union Territory.

(b)& (c) The National Forest Policy, 1988 envisages the national goal to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area under forest or tree cover and 2/3 rd of the area under such cover in the hill mountainous regions of the country. As per the India State of Forest Report, 2023,  the  extent  of  forest  and  tree  cover  of  India  is  estimated  as  8,27,356.95  square kilometre which constitutes 25.17% of the geographical area of the country. The forest cover  is  7,15,342.61  square  kilometre  whereas  the  tree  cover  is  1,12,014.34  square kilometre.

(d) As  per  information  received  from  the  States  and  Union  Territories,  out  of  the collected  compensatory  levies,  an  amount  of  Rs.  17,819.27  crore  has  been  utilised  on afforestation  and  related  activities  during  last  three  years  i.e.  financial  year  2021-22  to 2023-24. The State-wise information including State of Karnataka is enclosed in AnnexureI.

(e) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has not collected any fund  through  Public  Private  Partnership  for  increasing  the  forest  cover  and  density  of forests in any State including Karnataka and Union Territories during the last three years.

***

## Annexure-I

Annexure referred to in reply of part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1695 asked by Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary regarding 'Diversion of Forest Land' due for reply on 10.03.2025.

## Fund utilised under CAMPA by States/UTs on afforestation and related activities during the last three years i.e. Financial Year 2021-22 to 2023-24

| Sl. No   | State/UT                    | Fund Utilised (Rs. In crore)   |   Fund Utilised (Rs. In crore) |
|----------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |                                |                          6.6   |
| 2.       | Andhra Pradesh              |                                |                        349.62  |
| 3.       | Arunachal Pradesh           |                                |                        614.77  |
| 4.       | Assam                       |                                |                        251.24  |
| 5.       | Bihar                       |                                |                        107.45  |
| 6.       | Chandigarh                  |                                |                          6.77  |
| 7.       | Chhattisgarh                |                                |                       2624.66  |
| 8.       | Delhi                       |                                |                         25.03  |
| 9.       | Goa                         |                                |                         72.38  |
| 10.      | Gujarat                     |                                |                        565.54  |
| 11.      | Haryana                     |                                |                        411.37  |
| 12.      | Himachal Pradesh            |                                |                        248.04  |
| 13.      | Jammu and Kashmir           |                                |                        453.37  |
| 14.      | Jharkhand                   |                                |                        770.5   |
| 15.      | Karnataka                   |                                |                        857.88  |
| 16.      | Kerala                      |                                |                         24.16  |
| 17.      | Ladakh                      |                                |                         39.69  |
| 18.      | Madhya Pradesh              |                                |                       2228.08  |
| 19.      | Maharashtra                 |                                |                       1243.49  |
| 20.      | Manipur                     |                                |                         67.94  |
| 21.      | Meghalaya                   |                                |                         43.975 |
| 22.      | Mizoram                     |                                |                         33.76  |
| 23.      | Odisha                      |                                |                       2606.64  |
| 24.      | Punjab                      |                                |                        385.42  |
| 25.      | Rajasthan                   |                                |                        633.77  |
| 26.      | Sikkim                      |                                |                        202.8   |
| 27.      | Tamil Nadu                  |                                |                         25.95  |
| 28.      | Telangana                   |                                |                       1156.81  |
| 29.      | Tripura                     |                                |                         79.05  |
| 30.      | Uttar Pradesh               |                                |                        761.71  |
| 31.      | Uttarakhand                 |                                |                        863.5   |
| 32.      | West Bengal                 |                                |                         57.3   |
|          | Total                       |                                |                      17819.3   |