Lok Sabha Question No. 2372 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-15
Subject: Encroachment on Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2372

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2025

## Encroachment on Forest Land

## 2372. SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

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

- (a) the concrete measures being taken by the Government to prevent encroachment on forest land and deforestation, particularly in those States where this problem is more severe;
- (b) whether any special study has been conducted to assess the decline in forest cover and its environmental impact, based on the latest data from the India State of Forest Report, 2021;
- (c) whether  any  comprehensive  action  plan  has  been  formulated  to  check  the  increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  developing  any  special  technology-based  mechanism  to monitor the progress of implementation of afforestation and forest conservation schemes?

## ANSWER

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

(a)    Forest protection and management are primarily the responsibility of State Governments and UT Administrations, which act against encroachment and illegal felling under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Van (Sanrakshan Evm Samvardhan) Adhiniyam1980 and State Forest Acts/Rules. Under the relevant provisions of these acts, the states take necessary action through the relevant authorities. The Ministry has issued advisories for  removal  and  prevention  of  encroachments.  States  also  carry  out  surveys,  demarcate boundaries, fix pillars and conduct regular patrolling, supported by modern tools such as GIS, remote  sensing  and  GPS.To  prevent  illegal  felling,  States  also  undertake  patrolling,  operate anti-poaching camps and check posts, deploy vigilance teams and conduct inspections. They also  promote  Joint  Forest  Management, awareness activities and  community  participation  to strengthen forest protection.

(b)   As  per  the  India  State  of  Forest  Report-2023  published  by  the  Forest  Survey  of  India, Dehradun,  the  forest  cover  in  the  country  have  increased  as  compared  to  the  assessment published  in  ISFR-2021.  As  per  India  State  of  Forest  Report  2023,  the  positive  changes  in forest  cover  arise  due  to  natural  growth  of  vegetation,  afforestation  initiatives,  improved protection of plantations and forest areas, increase in trees outside forests, and regeneration in shifting  cultivation  areas,  while  negative  changes  occur  due  to  harvesting  of  short-rotation plantations,  shifting  cultivation,  encroachment  and  natural  calamities  such  as  storms,  floods and landslides.

(c)   A comprehensive set of measures has been formulated to address the increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas. The Ministry has issued an  advisory  on  managing  human-wildlife  conflict  (February  2021)  and  followed  it  with detailed  guidelines  to  States  and  Union  Territories  on  3rd  June  2022,  including  measures  to reduce conflict and mitigate crop damage. Species-specific guidelines were also issued on 21st March  2023  to  strengthen  site-level  responses.Further,  under  Section  11  of  the  Wild  Life (Protection) Act, 1972, Chief Wildlife Wardens  are empowered  to permit controlled intervention in cases where Schedule I or II animals pose a danger to human life or property. Additionally, a robust network of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves has been established to ensure better protection and management of wildlife habitats, thereby reducing conflict at the source.

(d)     The Ministry provides technical and financial support to States and UTs through various Central Government schemes-such as the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Forest Fire  Prevention  and  Management  Scheme  (FPM),  Nagar  Van  Yojana  (NVY),  Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes  (MISHTI),  and  the Integrated Development  of Wildlife Habitats-for the enhancement, protection, conservation and management of forests. In addition, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) employs advanced remote sensing technology, supported by intensive ground verification and field data collected through the  National  Forest  Inventory,  to  assess  periodic  changes  in  forest  and  tree  cover.  These modern  tools,  including  GIS-based  mapping,  GPS-enabled  field  data  collection,  digital reporting platforms and satellite monitoring, ensure transparent, accurate and timely assessment of progress under various afforestation and forest conservation schemes.

******