India's Forest Lands: A Decade of Development and Diversion

In the last decade, India has diverted over 1,734 square kilometres of forest land for development. Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana lead in conversions. Despite this, India's forest cover increased from 6.98 lakh to 7.15 lakh square kilometres, as per the India State of Forests Report.

In a span of ten years, India has allocated over 1,734 square kilometres of forest land for development purposes, a figure that surpasses the geographical size of Delhi. This significant shift in land use was revealed through government data presented in the Lok Sabha this week.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav detailed that from 2014-15 to 2023-24, a whopping 1.73 lakh hectares of forest territory had been repurposed for non-forest activities under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. This includes crucial infrastructure projects across various states.

Madhya Pradesh emerged as the top contributor with a diversion of 385.52 square kilometres, followed by Odisha, Telangana, Gujarat, and Arunachal Pradesh. Despite these developments, the biennial India State of Forests Report indicates an increase in the country's total forest cover over the same period.

(With inputs from agencies.)