Lok Sabha Question No. 244 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Diversion of Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BALABHADRA MAJHI

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 244

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2016

## Diversion of Forest Land

## *244.  SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

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

- (a) whether diversion of forest land in urban areas for developmental works requires prior approval of the Union Government;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  number  of  such  proposals  received  from various States during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise, including Odisha;
- (c) the  number  of  such  proposals  approved,  rejected,  pending  or  under  consideration along  with  the  reasons  for  rejection/pendency  and  the  time  by  which  the  pending proposals are likely to be approved, State-wise; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to relax the Forest (Conservation) Act with respect to  diversion  of  forest  land  in  urban  areas  and  if  so,  the  details  and  present  status thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI   PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

****

## STATEMENT REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 244 ASKED BY SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI REGARDING 'DIVERSION OF FOREST LAND DUE FOR REPLY ON 15.03.2016.

- (a) Yes, Sir.
- (b)&  (c)  Forest  land  in  urban  areas  are  diverted  for  development  works  for  providing essential services such as Schools, Drinking water  supply, Dispensaries & Hospitals etc.

During  the  last  three  years  and  current  year,  the  Central  Government  has received 81 proposals of development projects in urban areas including from Odisha. 64  proposals  were  accorded  approval  and  17  proposals  are  pending.  State-wise details of approvals accorded by the Central Government for use of the forest land for  such  activities  is  given  at  Annexure-I.  Grant  of  approvals  by  the  Central Government  under  the  Forest  (Conservation)  Act,  1980  is  a  continuing  process. Quite  often,  proposals  or  compliance  of  Stage-I  approvals,  received  from  the State/UT Governments area not complete in all respects and the Central Government has  to  seek  further  details/documents  from  the  concerned  State/UT  Governments. Since most of these proposals involves less than 40 ha land, hence, these proposals are  mainly disposed at the Regional Offices of MoEF&CC. There are no delay in granting  approval  under  Forest  (Conservation)  Act.  The  Ministry  takes  prompt decision,  when  proposals  complete  in  all  respects,  are  submitted  by  the  State/UT Governments.

- (d)       Further, there is no proposal for relaxation of provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in urban areas.

*****

## State -Wise details of development projects in urban areas dealt under FC Act,1980 and their status (2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016)

| S. no.   | State               | Proposals received   | Proposals received   | Approved   | Approved      | Pending with State Governments   | Pending with State Governments   | Rejected   | Rejected      | Pending with MoEF&CC   | Pending with MoEF&CC   |
|----------|---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|------------|---------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|------------|---------------|------------------------|------------------------|
| S. no.   | State               | No.                  | Area (in Ha.)        | No.        | Area (in Ha.) | No.                              | Area (in Ha.)                    | No.        | Area (in Ha.) | No.                    | Area (in Ha.)          |
| 1        | Chandigarh          | 1                    | 39.86                | 1          | 39.86         | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 0                      | 0.00                   |
| 2        | Chhattisgarh        | 1                    | 79.80                | 0          | 0.00          | 1                                | 79.80                            | 0          | 0.00          | 0                      | 0.00                   |
| 3        | Gujarat 2           |                      | 3.81                 | 2          | 3.81          | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 0                      | 0.00                   |
| 4        | Haryana 22          |                      | 15.11                | 21         | 12.90         | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 1                      | 2.21                   |
| 5        | Himachal Pradesh 10 | 12.07                | 8                    |            | 8.14          | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 2                      | 3.93                   |
| 6        | Karnataka 3         | 15.34                |                      | 3          | 15.34         | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 0                      | 0.00                   |
| 7        | Madhya Pradesh 1    | 3.92                 |                      | 0          | 0.00          | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 1                      | 3.92                   |
| 8        | Maharashtra 5       | 8.97                 |                      | 3          | 0.57          | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 2                      | 8.41                   |
| 9        | Manipur 1           | 4.65                 |                      | 1          | 4.65          | 0                                | 0.00                             | 0          | 0.00          | 0                      | 0.00                   |

| 10               | Orissa*     |      1 |   22.08 |     1 |   22.08 |   0 |   0.00 |   0 | 0.00 0   |   0.00 |
|------------------|-------------|--------|---------|-------|---------|-----|--------|-----|----------|--------|
| 11 Punjab        | 11          |   0.73 |    8    |  0.31 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 3        |   0.43 |
| 12 Rajasthan     | 5           | 134.26 |    2    |  1.14 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 3        | 133.11 |
| 13 Sikkim        | 2           |   0.82 |    2    |  0.82 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 0        |   0    |
| 14 Tamil Nadu    | 1           |  22.11 |    1    | 22.11 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 0        |   0    |
| 15 Telangana     | 2           |   5.01 |    2    |  5.01 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 0        |   0    |
| 16 Uttar Pradesh | 3           |   3.14 |    3    |  3.14 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 0        |   0    |
| 17 Uttarakhand   | 10          |  24.95 |    6    |  2.83 |     0   |   0 |    0   |   0 | 4        |  22.13 |
| Grand Total      | Grand Total |  81    |  396.63 | 64    |   142.7 |   1 |   79.8 |   0 | 0.00 16  | 174.13 |