Lok Sabha Question No. 1536 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Forest Area in Madhya Pradesh
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1536

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## Forest Area in Madhya Pradesh

## 1536. SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

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

- (a) the present status of forest area in Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) the number of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the said State;
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to conserve the endangered species of the State;
- (d) the details of the funds allocated for conservation projects in the State during the last three years and the current year;
- (e) whether the Government has planned any new initiatives to reduce industrial pollution in the State; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)   Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, carries out the assessment of forest and tree cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per ISFR-2023, the Recorded forest area of Madhya Pradesh is 94,689 square kilometer which is 30.72% of the geographical area of the State of Madhya Pradesh.

- (b) There are 11 National Parks and 24 Wildlife Sanctuaries in the State of Madhya Pradesh.

(c)  &  (d)  Wildlife  management  is  primarily  the  responsibility  of  the  respective  States  and  Union Territories.  The Government of India provides financial assistance to States/UTs, including Madhya Pradesh, under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes viz   Development of Wildlife Habitats (DWH) and Project Tiger & Elephant for conservation and management of Protected Areas, conservation of wildlife outside Protected Areas, recovery of critically endangered species, habitat improvement, antipoaching measures, strengthening of protection networks, maintenance of fire lines, weed eradication, eco-development, community awareness, capacity building, voluntary village relocation etc.

The funds released under these Centrally Sponsored Schemes to the State of Madhya Pradesh are  ₹ 4233. 82 lakh in 2022-23,  ₹ 4775.61 lakh in 2023-24, ₹ 6642.391 lakh in 2024-25 and ₹ 3424.96 lakh during 2025-26 (till date).

(e) & (f)  The Ministry notifies 'Standards for Emission or Discharge of Environmental Pollutants from various Industries' under Schedule-I of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986. So far, 79 industrial specific environmental standards have been notified. The industrial sectors, for which specific standards are not available, general standards as notified under Schedule-VI of the Environment Protection Rules,

1986  are  applicable.    The  concerned  State  Pollution  Control  Board/Pollution  Control  Committee (SPCB/PCC) ensures the implementation of the said standards. In case of non-compliance, action against industry is taken under provisions of the environmental laws.

CPCB has directed all 17 categories of high pollution potential industries, common hazardous waste and biomedical  waste  incinerators,  Common  Effluent  Treatment  Plants  (CETPs),  Grossly  Polluting Industries (GPIs) in Ganga and Yamuna Basins, Air polluting industries in NCR-Delhi to install Online Continuous Effluent/Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for strengthening monitoring mechanism and effective compliance through self-regulatory mechanism and constant vigil on pollution levels.

Real-time values of environmental pollutants of trade effluent and emissions generated through OCEMS are transmitted online to CPCB and concerned SPCB/PCC on 24x7 basis. Central software processes the  data  and  in  case  of  value  of  pollutant  parameter  exceeds  prescribed  environmental  norms,  an automatic  SMS  alert  is  generated  and  sent  to  industrial  unit,  SPCB  and  CPCB,  so  that  corrective measures can be taken by the industry immediately and appropriate action can be taken by concerned SPCB/PCC/CPCB.

Further, CPCB classifies various sectors/activities under colour coded categories based on their pollution potential. During 2025, CPCB has revised the classification methodology to classify sectors into Red, Orange, Green, White and Blue categories. The Classification-2025 includes incentive mechanism for the units in any sector that adopt environment friendly practices such as use of 100% cleaner fuel/renewal energy etc. and ensuring continuous compliance. This will result in better environmental performance and reduce industrial pollution.

The SPCBs/ PCCs impose emission standards on the industries for granting prior consent (Consent to Establish/ Consent to Operate), as per the provisions of the Air Act, 1981, apart from the Water Act, 1974.

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