More than two years after Punjab approved a ₹21-crore initiative to scientifically demarcate forest boundaries across the state, the ambitious exercise remains held up in procedural formalities, with the revised ₹35-crore proposal receiving only in-principle approval in August this year.
Despite the passage of several months, finalisation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) remains a prerequisite for the project to take off, highlighting the bureaucratic hurdles confronting a technology-driven exercise intended to strengthen forest protection.
The project was initially approved in June 2024 at an estimated cost of ₹21 crore, with forest demarcation planned through light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology and drone surveys. However, the original proposal was subsequently revised, and the latest plan envisages mapping forest boundaries using high-resolution satellite imagery, alongside geospatial data and ground verification. The revised project is estimated to cost ₹35 crore and has a three-year execution timeline.
The delay comes at a time when Punjab’s forest authorities face a substantial challenge in protecting forest land from encroachment. According to the available figures, the Bist Circle ( areas including Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Ludhiana ) accounts for approximately 3,992 hectares of encroached forest land, followed closely by the Ferozepur Circle, with around 3,983 hectares. The Shiwalik Circle has approximately 645 hectares under encroachment, while the South Circle accounts for another 399 hectares.
The prolonged wait for a comprehensive digital mapping exercise raises questions about the pace at which the state is addressing long-standing gaps in forest demarcation. Outdated satellite imagery and old shajra (village revenue) maps often lack precise ground references, complicating efforts to distinguish forest land from adjoining private properties and agricultural holdings. Such discrepancies can make encroachment detection difficult, fuel ownership disputes and weaken the department’s ability to defend forest land in legal proceedings.
{{/usCountry}}The prolonged wait for a comprehensive digital mapping exercise raises questions about the pace at which the state is addressing long-standing gaps in forest demarcation. Outdated satellite imagery and old shajra (village revenue) maps often lack precise ground references, complicating efforts to distinguish forest land from adjoining private properties and agricultural holdings. Such discrepancies can make encroachment detection difficult, fuel ownership disputes and weaken the department’s ability to defend forest land in legal proceedings.
{{/usCountry}}MoU formalities hold up implementation
In a letter dated August 4, 2026, the department of forest and wildlife preservation conveyed in-principle acceptance of the revised proposal submitted by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), Ludhiana.
A senior forest officer, requesting anonymity, said the department asked PRSC to submit a detailed, activity-wise implementation schedule with milestones, a comprehensive completion timeline and monthly reports detailing physical and financial progress. The revised MoU would subsequently be forwarded to the principal chief conservator of forests (HoFF), Punjab, for further action.
Mapping to cover nearly 5,818 sq km
The proposed exercise is designed to cover nearly 5,818 sq km through two parallel surveys. The airborne LiDAR survey is planned across approximately 3,900 sq km of forest terrain in the Shivalik hills, where it is expected to capture terrain information beneath dense vegetation and generate digital elevation models and contour maps.
Drone-based mapping is planned across around 1,918 sq km of forest areas in the plains. It is expected to generate imagery with a spatial resolution of 10 cm or finer, orthorectified maps and geographic information system (GIS)-compatible data sets.
Accurate geospatial mapping is expected to help the department identify boundary discrepancies, detect potential encroachments, resolve overlapping ownership claims and strengthen its legal defence in land disputes. It could also improve forest-cover monitoring and conservation planning, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Shivalik region, where forest patches are often fragmented.
For now, however, the project’s immediate challenge is administrative rather than technological.