Lok Sabha Question No. 1246 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Use of Forest Land for Non-Forest Purposes
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: D.K. Suresh, Nalin Kumar Kateel

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1246

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## Use of Forest Land for Non-Forest Purposes

1246.

SHRI D.K. SURESH:

SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

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

- (a) the  total  forest  land  used  for  the  non-forest  purposes  in  the  Country  with  special reference to the State of Karnataka;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any steps to demark the forest land clearly to create awareness among people and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is taking any steps to increase the forest cover in the Country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) State-wise details of the forest land diverted including Karnataka for non-forestry use during last five years is enclosed at Annexure .
- (b) The 'land' is a subject matter of the State Government. The forest areas and the legal boundaries thereof are determined and maintained by the concerned State Government. That, inter-alia, being the repository of land records, State Government has the primary responsibility to determine status of any parcel of land, giving due regards to gazette notifications, provisions under State and Central Acts and concerned judgments and directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
- (c) The Compensatory Afforestation Fund is utilized by States/UTs as per provisions of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 (CAF Act) and CAF Rules, 2018, for taking up compensatory afforestation for compensating the loss of forest & tree cover due to the diversion of forest land for non-forestry activities.

The Ministry provides technical and financial assistance to States/UTs under various Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  namely,  Green  India  Mission  (GIM),  Forest  Fire Prevention and Management Scheme, Nagar Van Yojana and other schemes of line ministries to increase the forest and tree cover of the country. Afforestation activities are  taken  up  under  various  programmes  and  schemes  of  line  Ministries  such  as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry etc.

*****

## Annexure

| Annexure referred to part (a) of the LSUQ No. 1246 dated 11.12.2023 regarding 'Use of Forest Land for Non-Forest Purposes' asked by SHRI D.K. SURESH and SHRI   | Annexure referred to part (a) of the LSUQ No. 1246 dated 11.12.2023 regarding 'Use of Forest Land for Non-Forest Purposes' asked by SHRI D.K. SURESH and SHRI   | Annexure referred to part (a) of the LSUQ No. 1246 dated 11.12.2023 regarding 'Use of Forest Land for Non-Forest Purposes' asked by SHRI D.K. SURESH and SHRI   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                                                                                                 | Category : All Categories                                                                                                                                       | During the Period : 01/04/2018 to 31/03/2023                                                                                                                    |
| S. No.                                                                                                                                                          | STATE / UT                                                                                                                                                      | Area Approved (in Ha.)                                                                                                                                          |
| 1                                                                                                                                                               | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                                                                             | 100.00                                                                                                                                                          |
| 2                                                                                                                                                               | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                  | 1946.61                                                                                                                                                         |
| 3                                                                                                                                                               | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                               | 7448.34                                                                                                                                                         |
| 4                                                                                                                                                               | Assam                                                                                                                                                           | 1357.17                                                                                                                                                         |
| 5                                                                                                                                                               | Bihar                                                                                                                                                           | 1852.75                                                                                                                                                         |
| 6                                                                                                                                                               | Chandigarh                                                                                                                                                      | 0.46                                                                                                                                                            |
| 7                                                                                                                                                               | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                    | 2802.38                                                                                                                                                         |
| 8                                                                                                                                                               | Dadar& Nagar Haveli                                                                                                                                             | 18.41                                                                                                                                                           |
| 9                                                                                                                                                               | Daman and Diu                                                                                                                                                   | 2.43                                                                                                                                                            |
| 10                                                                                                                                                              | Delhi                                                                                                                                                           | 85.05                                                                                                                                                           |
| 11                                                                                                                                                              | Goa                                                                                                                                                             | 280.83                                                                                                                                                          |
| 12                                                                                                                                                              | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                         | 8064.76                                                                                                                                                         |
| 13                                                                                                                                                              | Haryana                                                                                                                                                         | 2161.49                                                                                                                                                         |
| 14                                                                                                                                                              | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                | 2512.65                                                                                                                                                         |
| 15                                                                                                                                                              | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                                                                               | 450.65                                                                                                                                                          |
| 16                                                                                                                                                              | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                       | 4416.55                                                                                                                                                         |
| 17                                                                                                                                                              | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                       | 1585.45                                                                                                                                                         |
| 18                                                                                                                                                              | Kerala                                                                                                                                                          | 145.97                                                                                                                                                          |
| 19                                                                                                                                                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                  | 19730.36                                                                                                                                                        |
| 20                                                                                                                                                              | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                     | 2137.89                                                                                                                                                         |
| 21                                                                                                                                                              | Manipur                                                                                                                                                         | 603.75                                                                                                                                                          |
| 22                                                                                                                                                              | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                                       | 33.97                                                                                                                                                           |
| 23                                                                                                                                                              | Mizoram                                                                                                                                                         | 392.89                                                                                                                                                          |
| 24                                                                                                                                                              | Orissa                                                                                                                                                          | 13304.79                                                                                                                                                        |
| 25                                                                                                                                                              | Punjab                                                                                                                                                          | 2391.57                                                                                                                                                         |
| 26                                                                                                                                                              | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                       | 2972.12                                                                                                                                                         |
| 27                                                                                                                                                              | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                          | 124.87                                                                                                                                                          |
| 28                                                                                                                                                              | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                      | 135.63                                                                                                                                                          |
| 29                                                                                                                                                              | Telangana                                                                                                                                                       | 3706.52                                                                                                                                                         |
| 30                                                                                                                                                              | Tripura                                                                                                                                                         | 1153.65                                                                                                                                                         |
| 31                                                                                                                                                              | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                   | 4090.64                                                                                                                                                         |
| 32                                                                                                                                                              | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                     | 3368.89                                                                                                                                                         |
| 33                                                                                                                                                              | West Bengal                                                                                                                                                     | 621.68                                                                                                                                                          |
| Grand Total                                                                                                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                                 | 90001.15                                                                                                                                                        |

Source :

https://parivesh.nic.in