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OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2721
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026
Encroachment on Forest Land
2721.SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether illegal cultivation is increasing due to the encroachment of large tracts of forest
land in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has received any complaints regarding illegal cultivation on
forest land;
(d) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
(e) the steps taken by the Government to prevent illegal cultivation on forest land in the
country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (e) The Protection and management of forests is primarily the responsibility of
the concerned State Government/UT Administration. To prevent the
encroachment, appropriate legal provisions are there in the Indian Forest Act
1927, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Local Forest Acts/Rules.
The State Governments /UT Administrations take appropriate actions to
protect forest and tree resources and address illegal cultivation under the
provisions made under these Acts/ Rules. As and when any complaint
related to illegal cultivation on forest land is received in the Ministry, it is
examined and thereafter forwarded to the concerned State
Government/Union Territory Administration for taking necessary action as
per the extant rules and regulations.
The Ministry issues advisories to State Governments/UT Administrations to
remove encroachments on forest lands as per the provisions of the law and
to ensure that further encroachments do not occur. Further, in order to
prevent encroachments, various measures are taken by the State Forest
Departments, which include survey and demarcation of forest areas, fixing
of pillars along forest boundary and regular patrolling by field staff. The
State Forest Departments also use a range of modern technologies such as
Geographical Information System, Remote sensing and Global Positioning
System to check encroachments in the forest areas. The Joint Forest
Management committees have also been established at village levels
involving local communities for protection, conservation and management
of forests.
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