Bhupendra Yadav: A total of 1,734 sq km area has been destroyed in different states of the country in the last ten years. Development or ‘development’ is allowed by cutting forests. In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, while giving statistical information, said that between 2014-15 and 2023-24, development was approved for development on 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land for the development of infrastructure under the Forest Act 1980.
The largest forest area in the country is in Madhya Pradesh, which is 77,073 square kilometers, where the country’s largest forest area has been converted to 358.52 square kilometers. Similarly, 99.85 sq km in Gujarat, about 244 sq km in Odisha, 114.22 sq km in Telangana. And 94.95 sq km in Arunachal Pradesh. The purpose of forest land has been changed. Not only this, in Rajasthan with the lowest forest in these ten years also 87.96 sq km. The forest area has been converted for other purposes, so 85 sq km in Maharashtra, 83.53 sq km in Jharkhand, 79.25 sq km in Chhattisgarh. And 70.59 sq km in Uttar Pradesh. The purpose of the forest area has been changed.
Surprisingly, according to the India Forest Status report to be released every two years, the forest area is increasing in the country. According to this report, in 2013 there was 6.98 lakh square kilometers of forest area in the country. The forest area was 7.15 sq km, which increased to 7.15 sq km in 2023. it’s done.
