Executive Summary:
This document presents the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's response to questions regarding forest land diversion for non-forest use under the Forest Conservation Act. It provides details on forest area diverted from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2025, and compensatory afforestation projects approved from FY 2021-22 to 2024-25. The response includes state-wise data in Annexure I and II.
Key Points / Main Content:
Forest Land Diversion:
* From 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2025, prior approval was granted for the diversion of 78,135.84 ha of forest land for non-forestry purposes.
* State/UT-wise details of diverted land are provided in Annexure I.
Scheduled Areas and Fifth Schedule Districts:
* Details of proposals involving forest land diversion in Scheduled Areas and Fifth Schedule districts are not maintained at the Ministry level.
* Forest areas and boundaries are determined and maintained by State Governments/UT Administrations.
Compensatory Afforestation:
* The Compensatory Afforestation Fund is utilized by States/UTs to compensate for the loss of forest and its ecological services.
* Compensatory Afforestation projects approved by the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority for the period FY 2021-22 to 2024-25 are detailed in Annexure II.
Impact Analysis:
State Governments/UT Administrations:
* Impact: Responsible for determining and maintaining forest areas and legal boundaries. They utilize the Compensatory Afforestation Fund for afforestation projects.
* Action Required: Implement compensatory afforestation projects as per the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, utilizing funds approved by the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change:
* Impact: Responsible for according prior approval for the diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes.
* Action Required: Monitor the implementation of compensatory afforestation projects and maintain records of forest land diversions, excluding those in Scheduled Areas and Fifth Schedule districts.
National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority:
* Impact: Approves compensatory afforestation projects.
* Action Required: Oversee and manage the Compensatory Afforestation Fund and the planning of afforestation projects.
Key Entities Referenced
Forest Conservation Act: A law under which forest area is diverted for non-forest use.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016: The Act governing the utilization of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund.
National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority: The authority that approves Compensatory Afforestation projects.
Scheduled Areas: Areas defined under the Constitution of India with special provisions for administration.
Fifth Schedule districts: Districts defined under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India with special provisions for administration.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A union territory of India.
Arunachal Pradesh: A state in India.
Madhya Pradesh: A state in India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2388
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
Compensatory Afforestation Projects on Diverted Forest Land
2388. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:
SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:
DR. KIRSAN NAMDEO:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the details of the total forest area diverted for non-forest use under the Forest
(Conservation) Act during the last five years and the current year, State and project-
wise;
(b) the details of the number of proposals involving diversion of forest land in Scheduled
Areas and Fifth Schedule districts during the said period; and
(c) the details of the number of compensatory afforestation projects approved and the
corresponding area afforested during the year 2021-2022, State-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) & (b) During the period 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2025, Central Government has accorded
the prior approval for the diversion of 78,135.84 ha of forest land for various non-
forestry purposes. The State/UT wise detail is enclosed at Annexure-I.
'Land' is a State subject. The forest areas and the legal boundaries thereof are
determined and maintained by the concerned State Government/UT
Administration. Accordingly, the detail of proposals involving diversion of forest
land in Scheduled areas and Fifth Schedule districts are not maintained at the level
of this ministry.
(c) The Compensatory Afforestation Fund is utilized by the States/UTs for
compensating the loss of forest and its ecological services, due to diversion of
forest land for various non-forest purposes as per the provisions of Compensatory
Afforestation Fund Act, 2016. The Compensatory Afforestation approved by the
National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
for the Period of 2021-22 to 2024-25 is attached at Annexure-II.
***Annexure-I
Annexure referred to the Part (a) of the RSUQ No. 2388 due for answer on 04.08.2025
asked by Shri Pradyut Bordoloi, Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Dr. Kirsan Namdeo
regarding “Compensatory Afforestation Projects on Diverted Forest Land”.
Category : All Categories During the Period : 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2025
S. Area Approved
STATE / UTs
No. (in Ha.)
1 Andaman and Nicobar 104.14
2 Andhra Pradesh 1020.63
3 Arunachal Pradesh 6561.47
4 Assam 722.24
5 Bihar 631.31
6 Chandigarh 0.29
7 Chhattisgarh 4092.01
Dadar & Nagar Haveli & Daman
8 53.36
and Diu
9 Delhi 118.59
10 Goa 182.91
11 Gujarat 4959.00
12 Haryana 1035.08
13 Himachal Pradesh 1429.84
14 Jammu and Kashmir 868.19
15 Jharkhand 4431.91
16 Karnataka 1385.38
17 Kerala 174.95
18 Ladakh 0.94
19 Madhya Pradesh 17393.65
20 Maharashtra 3603.62
21 Manipur 1720.11
22 Meghalaya 33.46
23 Mizoram 433.99
24 Odisha 11033.08
25 Punjab 1600.31
26 Rajasthan 4180.06
27 Sikkim 507.87
28 Tamil Nadu 98.38
29 Telangana 670.86
30 Tripura 741.97
31 Uttar Pradesh 5480.43
32 Uttarakhand 2365.28
33 West Bengal 500.53
Grand Total 78135.84
Source : https://parivesh.nic.inAnnexure-II
Annexure referred to the Part (a) of the RSUQ No. 2388 due for answer on 04.08.2025 asked by Shri
Pradyut Bordoloi, Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Dr. Kirsan Namdeo regarding “Compensatory
Afforestation Projects on Diverted Forest Land”.
Compensatory Afforestation Approved by National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and
Planning Authority for the period FY 2021-22 to 2024-25
S. 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
No. Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement
State/UT (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha)
Andaman & 237.63 132.03
Nicobar 0 0 56.16 36.56 181.47 95.47
1 Islands
Andhra 8663.46 3471.88
1326.32 485.11 2276.75 708.54 1827.75 311.12
2 Pradesh
Arunachal 21478.03 20719.46
12194 11608.44 4459.16 4458.67 3001.34 2858.42
3 Pradesh
4 Assam 196.1 114.5 467.45 0 528.27 382.56 1191.82 1149.64
5 Bihar 384 0 0 0 1334.09 1321.09 3568.68 3171.67
6 Chandigarh 0.79 0.79 0.14 0.18 - - 0.93 0.97
7 Chhattisgarh 1404.687 1541.69 460.47 465.2 770.242 467.74 7941.59 7039.23
8 Delhi 24.49 23.02 71.95 72.06 45.17 37.34 190.91 179.96
9 Goa 200 200 420 299 470 470 1330.00 1209.00
10 Gujarat 3646.72 3646.72 4584.53 4584.53 2004.94 2004.94 14103.32 14103.32
11 Haryana 1913.2961 1870.22 2306.12 1608.86 Nil Nil 5803.08 5012.91
Himachal 4913.00 4073.00
1032 899 973 885 1315 888
12 Pradesh
Jammu & 8097.97 6434.79
13 322 306 1499.54 1360.71 272.43 262.08
Kashmir
14 Jharkhand 3713.52 3324.86 6327.687 3202.83 3,807.74 2789.84 21443.95 15739.27
15 Karnataka 516.81 522.77 715.01 715.01 718.4 720.29 2775.12 2761.26
16 Kerala 60.632 42.84 151.5 0 170.3 117.26 433.06 171.80
17 Ladakh - - - - - - 21107.68 21746.82
Madhya 5730.62 4316.74
3924.1 3585.66 16365 3457.22 1416 5301.66
18 Pradesh
19 Maharashtra 438.18 218.351 246.405 182.27 546.384 544.384 1759.84 666.94
20 Manipur 0 0 0 0 0 0 514.76 114.56
21 Meghalaya Nil Nil 367.89 114.56 146.87 0 2046.74 2570.24
22 Mizoram 1303.78 1303.78 508.96 29.96 Nil Nil 0 0
23 Odisha 3610.19 3501.45 6130.81 4632.86 1962.91 1628.66 19540.451 16964.78
24 Punjab 692.57 644.995 864.411 800.38 993.873 940.38 4471.94 4019.72
25 Rajasthan 1757.52 808.52 700.352 444.79 2003.36 1365.4 9862.03 7377.15
26 Sikkim 183.98 183.98 94.67 94.67 104.06 53.19 660.39 609.52
27 Tamil Nadu 0 0 146.38 82.57 113.82 0 262.39 84.76
28 Telangana 3330.77 2490.07 2799.41 2052.71 918.771 551.12 17961.54 13686.57
29 Tripura 445.54 391.86 685.14 566.4 810.29 669.85 2608.11 2295.23Annexure-II
Annexure referred to the Part (a) of the RSUQ No. 2388 due for answer on 04.08.2025 asked by Shri
Pradyut Bordoloi, Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Dr. Kirsan Namdeo regarding “Compensatory
Afforestation Projects on Diverted Forest Land”.
Compensatory Afforestation Approved by National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and
Planning Authority for the period FY 2021-22 to 2024-25
S. 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
No. Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement
State/UT (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha) (in Ha)
Uttar 6096.70 5877.16
1103.64 1091.43 1631.9 1604.68 1414.99 1288.6
30 Pradesh
31 Uttarakhand 2817.93 2738.62 2415 2448.71 2200 1697.24 13682.93 11812.89
West 1911.74 748.25
782.89 282.03 397.54 106.17 321.65 139.92
32 Bengal