Lok Sabha Question No. 1799 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-08
Subject: Percentage of Forest Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MD. BADARIDDOZA KHAN

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1799

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.03.2016

## Percentage of Forest Land

## 1799.   SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA KHAN:

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

- (a) the percentage of land in the country under forests cover;
- (b) whether  the  percentage  has  changed  during  the  last  few  years  and  if  so,  the  details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year; and
- (c) whether  any  forest  land  has  been  acquired  for  any  major  project  in  public  sector  or private sector during the said period and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As per India State of Forest Report-2015, the total forest cover in the country is 7,01,673 square kilometers which is 21.34% of the total geographical area of the country.
- (b) The Forest Survey of India has been carrying out assessment of forest cover on biennial basis since 1987 using remote sensing technology. India State of Forest Report-2015 is the latest in the series . The total forest cover and percentage thereof  as per India State of Forest Reports 2011, 2013 and 2015 are given as under:-
- (c)   Use of forest areas for such activities are approved by the Central Government under the Forest (conservation) Act, 1980 with adequate environmental safeguards and afforestation measures in lieu  of  forest  land  proposed  to  be  utilized  for  developmental  activities.  The state  wise  and  category  wise  details  of  the  forest  area  diverted  for  non  forestry  purpose under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 during each of the last three years and current year are given in Annexure.

|   S. No. | Year                               | Total Forest Cover (in Square Kilometer)   |   Percentage of the forest cover to the total Geographical area | Remarks                            |
|----------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|        1 | India State of Forest Report- 2011 | 692,027/-                                  |                                                           21.05 | ____                               |
|        2 | India State of Forest Report- 2013 | 697,898/-                                  |                                                           21.23 | Increase of 5,871 square kilometer |
|        3 | India State of Forest Report- 2015 | 701,673/-                                  |                                                           21.34 | Increase of 3775 square kilometer  |

*****

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1799 due for answer on 08.03.2016 regarding 'Percentage of Forest Land'

## Statement Showing Cases (State wise and Calendar Year wise) For Diversion Of Forest Land from Year 2013 to till date

## Under FC Act 1980

| Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   | Category : All Categories+363 During the Period : 01/01/2013 to 03/03/16 Case Status : IN-PRINCIPLE &APPROVED   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                          | STATE/UT                                                                                                        | 2013                                                                                                            | 2013                                                                                                            | 2014                                                                                                            | 2014                                                                                                            | 2015                                                                                                            | 2015                                                                                                            | 2016                                                                                                            | 2016                                                                                                            | Grand Total                                                                                                     |
| S. No.                                                                                                          | STATE/UT                                                                                                        | In-Principle+Approved                                                                                           | In-Principle+Approved                                                                                           | In- Principle+Approved                                                                                          | In- Principle+Approved                                                                                          | In- Principle+Approved                                                                                          | In- Principle+Approved                                                                                          | In- Principle+Approved                                                                                          | In- Principle+Approved                                                                                          | In-Principle+Approved                                                                                           |
| S. No.                                                                                                          | STATE/UT                                                                                                        | No. of Cases                                                                                                    | Area Diverted                                                                                                   | No. of Cases                                                                                                    | Area Diverted                                                                                                   | No. of Cases                                                                                                    | Area Diverted                                                                                                   | No. of Cases                                                                                                    | Area Diverted No. of Cases                                                                                      | Area Diverted                                                                                                   |
| 1                                                                                                               | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                             | 11                                                                                                              | 26.76                                                                                                           | 3                                                                                                               | 3.96                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00 14                                                                                                         | 30.72                                                                                                           |
| 2                                                                                                               | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                  | 8                                                                                                               | 891.64                                                                                                          | 18                                                                                                              | 3436.12                                                                                                         | 39                                                                                                              | 2974.41                                                                                                         | 3 15.33                                                                                                         | 68                                                                                                              | 7317.50                                                                                                         |
| 3                                                                                                               | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                               | 20                                                                                                              | 2412.09                                                                                                         | 20                                                                                                              | 1457.88                                                                                                         | 12                                                                                                              | 4864.84                                                                                                         | 0 0.00                                                                                                          | 52                                                                                                              | 8734.81                                                                                                         |
| 4                                                                                                               | Assam                                                                                                           | 2                                                                                                               | 80.88                                                                                                           | 1                                                                                                               | 235.00                                                                                                          | 1                                                                                                               | 29.86                                                                                                           | 0 0.00                                                                                                          | 4                                                                                                               | 345.74                                                                                                          |
| 5                                                                                                               | Bihar                                                                                                           | 35                                                                                                              | 559.87                                                                                                          | 28                                                                                                              | 208.40                                                                                                          | 17                                                                                                              | 311.31                                                                                                          | 4 1.85                                                                                                          | 84                                                                                                              | 1081.44                                                                                                         |
| 6                                                                                                               | Chandigarh                                                                                                      | 1                                                                                                               | 0.07                                                                                                            | 1                                                                                                               | 39.86                                                                                                           | 1                                                                                                               | 0.37                                                                                                            | 0 0.00                                                                                                          | 3                                                                                                               | 40.30                                                                                                           |
| 7                                                                                                               | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                    | 9                                                                                                               | 1156.65                                                                                                         | 16                                                                                                              | 1992.75                                                                                                         | 18                                                                                                              | 2452.23                                                                                                         | 2 28.39                                                                                                         | 45                                                                                                              | 5630.03                                                                                                         |
| 8                                                                                                               | Dadar &Nagar Haveli                                                                                             | 3                                                                                                               | 5.38                                                                                                            | 3                                                                                                               | 1.45                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00 6                                                                                                          | 6.83                                                                                                            |
| 9                                                                                                               | Daman and Diu                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0 0.00                                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            |
| 10                                                                                                              | Delhi                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 4                                                                                                               | 23.05                                                                                                           | 1                                                                                                               | 12.00                                                                                                           | 0 0.00                                                                                                          | 5                                                                                                               | 35.05                                                                                                           |
| 11                                                                                                              | Goa                                                                                                             | 1                                                                                                               | 0.95                                                                                                            | 2                                                                                                               | 0.87                                                                                                            | 2                                                                                                               | 0.29 0                                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                                            | 5                                                                                                               | 2.10                                                                                                            |
| 12                                                                                                              | Gujarat                                                                                                         | 19                                                                                                              | 39.84                                                                                                           | 50                                                                                                              | 673.33                                                                                                          | 87                                                                                                              | 788.91                                                                                                          | 15 18.18                                                                                                        | 171                                                                                                             | 1520.26                                                                                                         |
| 13                                                                                                              | Haryana                                                                                                         | 192                                                                                                             | 715.07                                                                                                          | 235                                                                                                             | 255.39                                                                                                          | 281 414.23                                                                                                      | 80                                                                                                              | 238.38                                                                                                          | 788                                                                                                             | 1623.07                                                                                                         |
| 14                                                                                                              | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                | 17                                                                                                              | 452.85                                                                                                          | 7                                                                                                               | 434.52                                                                                                          | 24                                                                                                              | 1241.74 10                                                                                                      | 23.10                                                                                                           | 58                                                                                                              | 2152.21                                                                                                         |
| 15                                                                                                              | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                                               | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0 0.00                                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            |
| 16                                                                                                              | Jharkhand                                                                                                       | 29                                                                                                              | 3034.85                                                                                                         | 14                                                                                                              | 2945.77                                                                                                         | 13                                                                                                              | 460.21 1                                                                                                        | 5.64                                                                                                            | 57                                                                                                              | 6446.47                                                                                                         |
| 17                                                                                                              | Karnataka                                                                                                       | 3                                                                                                               | 69.70                                                                                                           | 8                                                                                                               | 380.22                                                                                                          | 25                                                                                                              | 421.42 13                                                                                                       | 375.38                                                                                                          | 49                                                                                                              | 1246.72                                                                                                         |
| 18                                                                                                              | Kerala                                                                                                          | 1                                                                                                               | 4.33                                                                                                            | 3                                                                                                               | 5.24                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 1 9.53                                                                                                          | 5                                                                                                               | 19.10                                                                                                           |
| 19                                                                                                              | Lakshadweep                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00 0                                                                                                          | 0.00                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                               | 0.00                                                                                                            |
| 20                                                                                                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                  | 31                                                                                                              | 1834.15                                                                                                         | 45                                                                                                              | 8458.75                                                                                                         | 58                                                                                                              | 5300.90                                                                                                         | 2 4.85                                                                                                          | 136                                                                                                             | 15598.65                                                                                                        |
| 21                                                                                                              | Maharashtra                                                                                                     | 16                                                                                                              | 1920.67                                                                                                         | 36                                                                                                              | 2693.67                                                                                                         | 22                                                                                                              | 835.65 4                                                                                                        | 719.97                                                                                                          | 78                                                                                                              | 6169.96                                                                                                         |
| 22                                                                                                              | Manipur                                                                                                         | 3                                                                                                               | 1325.82                                                                                                         | 6                                                                                                               | 1587.34                                                                                                         | 4                                                                                                               | 102.65 1                                                                                                        | 4.65                                                                                                            | 14                                                                                                              | 3020.46                                                                                                         |

| 23    | Meghalaya     |   1 | 0.98       | 0       | 0.00     | 1       | 138.11   |   2 |    7.36 | 4    |   146.45 |
|-------|---------------|-----|------------|---------|----------|---------|----------|-----|---------|------|----------|
| 24    | Mizoram       |   2 | 407.72 5   | 181.41  | 0        | 0.00    | 0        |   0 |    7    |      |   589.13 |
| 25    | Nagaland      |   0 | 0.00 0     | 0.00    |          | 0       | 0.00     |   0 |    0    | 0    |     0    |
| 26    | Orissa        |  19 | 4592.58 47 | 4171.71 | 34       | 2241.56 |          |   5 |  863.91 | 105  | 11869.8  |
| 27    | Pondicherry   |   0 | 0.00 0     | 0.00    |          | 0       | 0.00     |   0 |    0    | 0    |     0    |
| 28    | Punjab        | 177 | 288.82 153 |         | 474.50   | 228     | 144.95   |  39 |   28.68 | 597  |   936.95 |
| 29    | Rajasthan     |  23 | 2897.93 13 |         | 1079.79  | 24      | 534.40   |  11 |   89.19 | 71   |  4601.31 |
| 30    | Sikkim        |   4 | 147.85     | 5       | 3.42     | 8       | 38.88    |   1 |    0    | 18   |   190.16 |
| 31    | Tamil Nadu    |   0 | 0.00       | 0       | 0.00     | 5       | 482.20   |   4 |   26.76 | 9    |   508.96 |
| 32    | Telangana     |   0 | 0.00       | 0       | 0.00 15  |         | 3893.61  |   0 |    0    | 15   |  3893.61 |
| 33    | Tripura       |   6 | 50.14      | 3       | 25.28    | 2       | 44.18    |   0 |    0    | 11   |   119.6  |
| 34    | Uttar Pradesh |  61 | 670.54     | 33      | 645.55   | 84      | 416.70   |  25 |  126.06 | 203  |  1858.85 |
| 35    | Uttarakhand   |  22 | 1887.50    | 7       | 1745.53  | 243     | 192.26   |  25 |  115.3  | 297  |  3940.6  |
| 36    | West Bengal   |   5 | 55.37      | 7       | 134.12   | 3       | 121.24   |   1 |   13.54 | 16   |   324.26 |
| TOTAL | TOTAL         | 721 | 25531.00   | 773     | 33294.89 | 1251    | 26566.77 | 249 | 2198.16 | 2994 | 87590.8  |