Gujarat tops the country in the number of approved proposals for extension of forest land for non-forest purposes in the last five financial years. According to an official reply given in the Rajya Sabha on February 5 to an unstarred question by MP Sanjay Singh, Gujarat cleared 1,560 proposals under the VAN (Sankarshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2025. This is the highest among all states and the number of non-territories. Haryana followed with 1,424 approvals, Uttar Pradesh 1,188, Punjab 1,067 and Madhya Pradesh 902. During this period 10,026 proposals were approved across the country, while only 120 were rejected.
Nationally, road projects account for the largest share of forest land at 22,233.44 hectares, followed by mining and quarrying at 18,913.64 hectares, hydel and irrigation projects at 17,434.38 hectares, power transmission lines, railway lines at 831 hectares. 5,957.68 hectares and defense activities 6,041.96 hectares. (AP)Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in reply said: “During the last five financial years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, 97,050.30 hectares of forest land has been transferred under afforestation (Sambar) for non-afforestation purposes. 1980.” He added, “The approval process under the VAN (Conservation and Promotion) Act, 1980 is seamless. The Central Government, following the prescribed statutory approval process, takes an expeditious decision on proposals complete in all respects.”
In terms of area changed, Gujarat recorded 6,850.11 hectares in five years, ranking among the leading states, though not the highest. Madhya Pradesh has the largest area at 24,346.96 hectares, followed by Odisha at 12,875.94 hectares. The year-wise figures for Gujarat were 1,891.10 hectares in 2020-21, 1,714.47 hectares in 2021-22, 1,474.30 hectares in 2022-23, 537.19 hectares in 2023-2023 and 423.31 hectares in 2023-2023. 2024-25.
Nationally, road projects account for the largest share of forest land at 22,233.44 hectares, followed by mining and quarrying at 18,913.64 hectares, hydel and irrigation projects at 17,434.38 hectares, power transmission lines, railway lines at 831 hectares. 5,957.68 hectares and defense activities 6,041.96 hectares. Other notable categories include drinking water supply in 1,281.29 hectares, rehabilitation in 1,508.55 hectares, petrol pumps in 1,926.86 hectares, optical fiber cables in 391.13 hectares and pipelines in 669.38 hectares.
The ministry maintains that India’s overall forest and tree cover has increased steadily between 2013 and 2023, with the ISFR increasing from 789,979 sq km in 2013 to 827,357 km, according to the India State of Forests Report published by the Forest Survey of India.
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In reply to another question in the Rajya Sabha on the same date, asked by Rajiv Shukla, the Ministry addressed the concerns raised by the MP that, according to the US-based Global Forest Watch platform, India’s forest cover stands at only 440,000 square kilometers (about 15% of its geographical area) and is therefore increasing rather than decreasing.
The Ministry rejected this explanation and said that the criteria, parameters and definitions adopted by Global Forest Watch are different and not suitable to reflect India’s unique ecological and socio-economic conditions. Instead, it relies on official assessments conducted by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, using wall-to-wall remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification and National Forest Inventory data.
To support forest growth, the government is implementing National Mission for a Green India, Nagar Van Yojana, Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Income, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat, Forest Fire Prevention Programme, and ongoing nationwide plantation campaigns.
