Parliament Question: Forest Cover in Maharashtra

OIH GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5812 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 Forest Cover in Maharashtra 5812. SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE: SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM: DR. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) the present status of forest area in Maharashtra; (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 said State; (d) the details of funds allocated for conservation projects in the said State during the last three years and the current year; and (e) whether the Government proposes to take any new initiative to reduce industrial pollution in the said State and 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 Maharashtra is 61,952 square kilometer which is 20.13 % of the geographical area of the State of Maharashtra. (b) There are 6 National Parks and 52 Wildlife Sanctuaries in the State of Maharashtra. (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 Maharashtra, 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, anti- poaching measures, strengthening of protection networks, maintenance of fire lines, weed eradication, eco-development, community awareness, capacity building, voluntary village relocation etc. The details of funds released for conservation projects under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to the State of Maharashtra is given below:-(Rs. in Lakhs) Sl. Name of the CSS Scheme 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 No. (till date) 1 CSS- Development of 350.38 554.69 622.06 497.72 Wildlife Habitat 2 Project Tiger Component of 809.62 2531.41 4149.70 2372.00 CSS - Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats 3 Project Elephant 28.52 83.04 27.01 13.33 Component of CSS -Project Tiger & Elephant (e) 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. ******