Lok Sabha Question No. 1571 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Cutting of Trees
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAM PRASAD SARMAH, NABA KUMAR SARANIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1571

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2016

## Cutting of Trees

## 1571. SHRI RAM PRASAD SARMAH: SHRI NABA KUMAR SARA

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

- (a) the total forest cover in the State of Assam;
- (b) whether it is a fact that massive tree cutting has been reported in the State of Assam during last four years and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  about  240  million  trees  were  illegally  cut  by  smugglers  with collusion of forest officers and if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d)  whether  the  Union  Government  has  issued  any  advisory  to  the  State  Government  to stop/check such activities and if so, the details thereof and the response received therefrom; and
- (e) the funds provided to the State for protection of environment and wildlife during each of the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) As per the India State of Forest Report 2015, the total forest cover in the State of Assam is 27, 623 Sq. Km.
- (b) & (c) As  per  the  report  received  from  the  Assam  Forest  Department,  no  massive  tree cutting  has  taken  in  the  State  during  last  4  years.  However,  as  per  information received from Assam Forest Department, 54090 trees have been felled under various departmental operations in the last 4 years.
- (d) Protection and Management of Forests is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State/UT  Government  and  therefore  the  action  to  control  illegal  felling  of  trees  is taken as per the provisions of various acts such as Indian Forest Act, 1927; Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and various rules & regulations thereof by the states. However, the Ministry broadly monitors data regarding number of trees felled illegally, volume involved etc and the State-wise details are given in Annexure-I.
- (e) The details of funds provided to the State of Assam under Intensification of Forest Management  Scheme  and  Integrated  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats  Scheme  is given in Annexure II.

## ANNEXURE-II

ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  PART  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1571 DUE FOR REPLY ON 26.07.2016 REGARDING CUTTING OF TREES  ASKED  BY  SHRI  RAM  PRASAD  SARMAH  AND  SHRI  NABA  KUMAR SARANIA

Details  of  funds  released  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  'Integrated  Development  of Wildlife Habitats' and 'Intensification of Forest Management Scheme' during last three years and current financial year

| (Rs. in Lakhs)   | (Rs. in Lakhs)                               | (Rs. in Lakhs)   | (Rs. in Lakhs)   | (Rs. in Lakhs)   | (Rs. in Lakhs)   |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| S. No            | Scheme                                       | 2013-14          | 2014-15          | 2015-16          | 2016-17          |
| 1                | Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats  | 138.88           | 149.11           | 87.10            | -                |
| 2                | Intensification of Forest Management Scheme* | -                | -                | -                | -                |

* No funds could be released to the State of Assam under IFM Scheme during the last three years and the current year as the central assistance amounting to Rs.324.40 lakhs is still lying unspent with the State since 2012-13.

## ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE REFFERED TO PART (d) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1571 DUE FOR 26.07.2016 REGARDING CUTTING OF TREES ASKED BY SHRI RAM PRASAD SARMAH AND SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA

## Illegal Felling of Trees

| S. No. States   | S. No. States            | 2013-14               | 2013-14                            | 2013-14                            | 2013-14               | 2013-14                 | 2014-15               | 2014-15      | 2014-15         | 2014-15               | 2014-15                 | 2015-16               | 2015-16      | 2015-16         | 2015-16               | 2015-16                 |
|-----------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|--------------|-----------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|--------------|-----------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|
| States          | States                   | No. of Cases Detected | No. of Trees Volume in cubic metre | No. of Trees Volume in cubic metre | No. of cases disposed | No. of cases pending in | No. of Cases Detected | No. of Trees | Volume in cubic | No. of cases disposed | No. of cases pending in | No. of Cases Detected | No. of Trees | Volume in cubic | No. of cases disposed | No. of cases pending in |
| 1               | Andhra Pradesh           | 8977                  | 163649                             | 22128.69                           | 8796                  | 774                     | 7856                  | 134596       | 9974.84         | 7413                  | 473                     | 6964                  | 97244        | 11471.58        | 6400                  | 284                     |
| 2               | Bihar                    | 854                   |                                    |                                    | 294                   | 560                     | 755                   |              |                 | 270                   | 485                     |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |
| 3               | Haryana                  | 5332                  | 11450                              | 3435                               |                       |                         | 3247                  | 7319         | 2195            |                       |                         | 3534                  | 7850         | 2355            |                       |                         |
| 4               | Himachal Pradesh         | 2725                  |                                    | 1385.39                            | 2967                  | 31                      | 3096                  | 5875         | 2316            | 2956                  | 40                      | 2451                  | 5096         | 1526.7          | 3358                  | 14                      |
| 5               | Karnataka                | 5309                  | 20155                              | 8677.6                             | 4201                  | 484                     | 4569                  | 17917        | 6484.21         | 3517                  | 495                     | 3815                  | 13206        | 6033.74         | 2422                  | 449                     |
| 6               | Kerala                   | 300                   | 936                                |                                    | 115                   | 75                      | 254                   | 889          |                 | 101                   | 57                      | 238                   | 1530         |                 | 59                    | 55                      |
| 7               | Maharashtra              | 22102                 | 139586                             | 10710.34                           | 22045                 | 1533                    | 22045                 | 120551       | 8454.22         | 21202                 | 1413                    | 15457                 | 103414       | 6481.18         | 14958                 | 1252                    |
| 8               | Punjab                   | 2292                  |                                    |                                    | 2154                  | 156                     | 2282                  |              |                 | 2074                  | 184                     |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |
| 9               | Telangana                | 7546                  | 66554                              | 2634.8                             | 5672                  | 628                     | 7792                  | 60940        | 2843.72         | 5706                  | 259                     | 5280                  | 76670        | 2625.94         | 3494                  | 155                     |
| 10              | Uttar Pradesh            | 2908                  | 7902                               | 2426.5                             | 1918                  | 589                     | 2780                  | 7789         | 2433.04         | 1597                  | 280                     | 2335                  | 6735         | 1775.84         | 1243                  | 349                     |
| 11              | West Bengal              | 10047                 |                                    | 5376.87                            | 4798                  | 220                     | 11898                 |              | 5376.87         | 6281                  | 184                     |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |
| NE              | NE                       |                       |                                    |                                    |                       |                         |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |
| 1               | Arunachal Pradesh States | 47                    | 66                                 | 8985.17                            |                       |                         | 48                    | 77           | 1040.55         | 35                    | 13                      | 3                     | 15           | 31.3            | 0                     | 3                       |
| 2               | Manipur                  | 13                    | 269                                | 43.59                              | 11                    | 2                       | 28                    | 238          | 162.9           | 28                    | 0                       | 54                    | 555          | 614.37          | 50                    | 4                       |
| 3               | Mizoram                  | 71                    | 332                                | 1156.71                            | 71                    | 0                       | 19                    | 25           | 39.76           | 19                    |                         |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |
| 4               | Sikkim                   | 13                    | 28                                 | 18.01                              | 13                    | 0                       | 13                    | 43           | 31.03           | 13                    | 0                       | 15                    | 23           | 28.97           | 10                    | 0                       |
| Union Territory | Union Territory          |                       |                                    |                                    |                       |                         |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |                       |              |                 |                       |                         |
| 1               | A&NIsland                | 287                   | 167                                | 110.67                             | 252                   | 3                       | 250                   | 160          | 114.1           | 230                   | 8                       | 202                   | 250          | 279.43          | 122                   | 12                      |
| 2               | Chandigarh               | 0                     | 0                                  | 0                                  | 0                     | 0                       | 0                     | 0            | 0               | 0                     | 0                       | 0                     | 0            | 0               | 0                     | 0                       |