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India lost 9.4mn trees in 4 years to development projects: Govt
Mumbai: India has lost 9.4 million trees across forest areas to development projects over the past four years (2015-16 to 2018-19), the Union ministry of environment,
Mumbai: India has lost 9.4 million trees across forest areas to development projects over the past four years (2015-16 to 2018-19), the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The lost of trees can be equated to the loss of 20.8 crore kg of carbon dioxide per year, which would have otherwise been stored by 9.4 million trees. According to the Forest Survey of India, one tree on an average can absorb almost 22 kg of carbon dioxide per year.
According to data tabled by the ministry, of the 94,98,516 trees lost in India over four years, Maharashtra recorded the second highest after Telangana (15,26,663). Meghalaya (371), Kerala (725), Mizoram (748), Delhi (3,236), and Tamil Nadu (5,970), however, recorded least tree-felling over the same period.
Minister of state (environment) Babul Supriyo said more trees were planted than number approved for removal under the Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA), 1980. “Plantation of more than 10,32,00,000 trees have been stipulated under compensatory afforestation [for the loss of 9 million trees],” he added.
Siddhanta Das, director general of forest and special secretary, MoEFCC, said Maharashtra and Telengana may have reported greater loss of tree cover due to more development projects in the area. There are two types of compensation taken up when trees are felled – tree for tree and land for land. “Suppose 10 hectares (ha) of land are diverted with loss of trees, then double or three times (depending on the plantation scheme) trees are planted across 10 ha of non-forest land,” said Das, adding that the ministry also carries out measures such as water or soil conservation to achieve “a balance between development and conservation”.
Supreme Court advocate and environment lawyer Sanjay Upadhyay said Telangana and Maharashtra were witnessing huge projects in forest areas and despite violations like trees being felled close to tiger reserves, no preventive actions were being taken. “We should add 30% to the official data to understand the true picture. Also, we must consider the loss of trees across all ecosystems including urban, rural, wastelands, degraded areas outside forest areas, data for which are not being collated across India,” he said.
The total forest area of Maharashtra is 51,579.05 sq. km while the total forest area of Telangana is 20,419 sq. km.
The Forest Survey of India in its 2017 report recorded that Maharashtra had the maximum tree cover area in India with 9,831 square km, accounting for 3.19% of the total geographical area of the state (3,07,713 sq km). However, from 2015 to 2019 (March), the state diverted 5,022 hectares of forests for development projects, third highest in India after Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. “We do not compile data on the loss of trees, and only collate information on forest areas diverted for development,” said Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forest (Mantralaya). “These were all projects of public importance mostly linear infrastructure (including road widening, railways, transmission lines), and important irrigation projects. Additionally, the state’s 50 crore plantation program in forest and non-forest areas has further increased tree cover, diminishing any loss recorded in previous years.”
The Telangana forest department also said they did not collate tree felling data and they cannot comment on trees lost until they study data submitted before Rajya Sabha and compared development proposals sanctioned in the state.
