280% surge in projects in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks in 2023-24

Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh also informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 957.25 square kilometers of forest area has been diverted for non-forestry use

India saw a massive 280 per cent increase in the number of projects recommended in wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in 2023-24 as compared to 2022-23, according to the data presented in Parliament on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh also informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 957.25 square kilometers or 95,724.99 hectares of forest area has been diverted for non-forestry use under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 over five years starting from April 2019.

The minister said that 71 project proposals were approved in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country in 2019-20. The numbers stood at 85 in 2020-21, 154 in 2021-22, 150 in 2022-23, and surged to 421 in 2023-24.

Singh also shared that 8,731 requests for forest land diversion were approved between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2023, amounting to a total of 95,724.99 hectares of forest area being set aside for non-forestry use.

Madhya Pradesh saw the highest forest area diversion for non-forestry use during this period, with 22,614.74 hectares. This was followed by Odisha with 13,621.95 hectares, Arunachal Pradesh with 8,744.78 hectares, Gujarat with 7,402.97 hectares, and Uttar Pradesh with 6,184.64 hectares.

The government data also showed that 179 mining proposals were approved, resulting in the diversion of a total of 18,922.98 hectares of forest land during this period.

It revealed that compensatory afforestation was raised on 29,440.39 hectares of land in 2023-24, the lowest in five years.

In comparison, compensatory afforestation was carried out on 35,718.16 hectares in 2019-20, 36,000.59 hectares in 2020-21, 42,151.06 hectares in 2021-22, and 39,263.19 hectares in 2022-23.