Lok Sabha Question No. 252 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-26
Subject: Reserved Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAJAN BABURAO  VICHARE

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 252

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.04.2016

## Reserved Forest Land

## 252. SHRI RAJAN VICHARE:

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

- (a) the total reserved forest land in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether it is true that most of the Government's Organizations apart from private developers and industrialists are in illegal possession of reserved forest land and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to get reserved forest land vacated by the illegal occupants?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As per the India State of Forest Report 2015 by Forest Survey of India, State/UT wise details of Reserved Forest area are enclosed in Annexure-1.
- (b) No  such  report  that  most  of  the  Government's  Organizations  apart  from  private developers  and  industrialists  are  in  illegal  possession  of  reserved  forest  land  has come to notice of the Ministry. However, the State/UT-wise details of the forest area under encroachments in the country are given in Annexure-II.
- (c) Protection  and  Management  of  Forests  is  primarily  the  responsibility  of  the concerned State/UT Government and therefore the action to remove encroachment is  taken  as  per  the  provisions  of  various  acts  such  as  Indian  Forest  Act,  1927; Wildlife  Protection  Act,  1972  and  other  acts,  rules  &  regulations  framed  by  the States.  The  Ministry  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  States/UTs  in  protection  and management of forests through Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Intensification of  Forest  Management  Scheme  (IFMS).  Various  measures  such  as  setting  up  of check  posts,  barriers,  use  of  modern  technology,  improved  mobility  to  the  field staff  by  providing  vehicles  for  patrolling,  survey  and  demarcation  of  forest  areas and  construction  of  boundary  pillars  are  supported  by  the  Ministry  under  this scheme.

## Annexure-I

## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  PARTS  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 252 BY SHRI RAJAN VICHARE REGARDING 'RESERVED FOREST LAND' DUE FOR REPLY ON 26.04.2016

| S. No.   | Name of States / UTs   | Reserved Forest Area (in Sq.km)   |
|----------|------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh         | 31959                             |
| 2        | Bihar                  | 693                               |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh           | 25782                             |
| 4        | Gujarat                | 14373                             |
| 5        | Goa                    | 253                               |
| 6        | Haryana                | 249                               |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh       | 1898                              |
| 8        | Jharkhand              | 4387                              |
| 9        | Jammu &Kashmir         | 17643                             |
| 10       | Karnataka              | 28690                             |
| 11       | Kerala                 | 11309                             |
| 12       | Madhya Pradesh         | 61886                             |
| 13       | Maharashtra            | 49546                             |
| 14       | Odisha                 | 26329                             |
| 15       | Punjab                 | 44                                |
| 16       | Rajasthan              | 12475                             |
| 17       | Tamil Nadu             | 20293                             |
| 18       | Telangana              | 20353                             |
| 19       | Uttar Pradesh          | 12071                             |
| 20       | Uttarakhand            | 26547                             |
| 21       | West Bengal            | 7054                              |
| 22       | Arunachal Pradesh      | 10589                             |
| 23       | Assam                  | 17864                             |
| 24       | Manipur                | 1467                              |
| 25       | Meghalaya              | 1113                              |
| 26       | Mizoram                | 4483                              |
| 27       | Nagaland               | 86                                |
| 28       | Sikkim                 | 5452                              |
| 29       | Tripura                | 4175                              |
| 30       | A &NIslands            | 5613                              |
| 31       | Chandigarh             | 32                                |
| 32       | D&N Haveli             | 199                               |
| 33       | Daman &Diu             | 0                                 |
| 34       | Lakshadweep            | 0                                 |
| 35       | Delhi                  | 78                                |
| 36       | Puducherry             | 0                                 |
|          | TOTAL                  | 4,24,985                          |

## Annexure-II

## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  PARTS  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 252 BY SHRI RAJAN VICHARE REGARDING 'RESERVED FOREST LAND' DUE FOR REPLY ON 26.04.2016

| S. No.   | Name of States/UTs   | Area of Encroachment (in ha.)   | As on Date   |
|----------|----------------------|---------------------------------|--------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh       | 40561.96                        | 05.12.2014   |
| 2        | Bihar                | 356.00                          | 16.02.2013   |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh         | 118494.60                       | 07.03.2011   |
| 4        | Gujarat              | 34791.00                        | 19.03.2011   |
| 5        | Goa                  | Nil                             | 25.02.2013   |
| 6        | Haryana              | 184.63                          | 20.07.2011   |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh     | 4600.00                         | 21.08.2012   |
| 8        | Jharkhand            | 27360.21                        | 31.07.2012   |
| 9        | Jammu &Kashmir       | 14 345.02                       | 13.02.2014   |
| 10       | Karnataka            | 81 776.80                       | 16.07.2014   |
| 11       | Kerala               | 41063.30                        | 27.02.2012   |
| 12       | Madhya Pradesh       | 552570.46                       | 03.09.2015   |
| 13       | Maharashtra          | 183171.80                       | 09.08.2011   |
| 14       | Odisha               | 78505.08                        | 22.07.2011   |
| 15       | Punjab               | 7404.00                         | 31.01.2011   |
| 16       | Rajasthan            | 31659.53                        | 31.03.2011   |
| 17       | Tamil Nadu           | 15142                           | 16.07.2014   |
| 18       | Telangana            | 183465.00                       | 18.07.2014   |
| 19       | Uttar Pradesh        | 26831.10                        | 15.02.2013   |
| 20       | Uttarakhand          | 9656.73                         | 11.02.2014   |
| 21       | West Bengal          | 12660.97                        | 31.03.2010   |
| 22       | Arunachal Pradesh    | 58626.57                        | 31.07.2014   |
| 23       | Assam                | 317215.39                       | 17.03.2015   |
| 24       | Manipur              | 1918.37                         | 10.04.2012   |
| 25       | Meghalaya            | 9378.00                         | 12.03.2011   |
| 26       | Mizoram              | 29933.12                        | 08.04.2011   |
| 27       | Nagaland             | 8721.86                         | 26.07.2011   |
| 28       | Sikkim               | 3232.87                         | 13.03.2012   |
| 29       | Tripura              | 6.77                            | 08.08.2014   |
| 30       | A &NIslands          | 4379.36                         | 02.01.2014   |
| 31       | Chandigarh           | 14.00                           | 11.03.2011   |
| 32       | D&N Haveli           | 614.40                          | 31.03.2013   |
| 33       | Daman &Diu           | 87.83                           | 28.09.2010   |
| 34       | Lakshadweep          | Nil                             | 28.08.2010   |
| 35       | Delhi                | 629.51                          | 11.04.2012   |
|          | TOTAL                | 18,99,358.24                    |              |