India's Largest Forest Diversion: 22,233 Ha Lost to Road Projects Since 2020
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In a shocking revelation, the Union environment ministry has disclosed that road projects have led to the largest forest area diversion in the past five years. According to data shared by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in the Rajya Sabha, a staggering 22,233.44 hectares of forests have been diverted since 2020. This is significantly higher than the 18,913.64 hectares lost to mining and 17,434.38 hectares lost to hydel and irrigation projects. For comparison, the entire Corbett Tiger Reserve spans 52,100 hectares. The data was shared in response to a question by AITC MP Dola Sen regarding environment and forest clearances granted and rejected by the Central government since 2020. In the past five years, the Centre has granted 1,766 environmental clearances, with the highest number (582) being for infrastructure projects. The breakdown of forest clearances for various projects includes: - 1 airport - 298 communication posts - 409 drinking water projects - 41 mining projects - 500 road projects - 21 industry projects The government has assured that project-affected families are entitled to fair compensation and rehabilitation measures under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. In a separate response, the shipping ministry revealed that all required studies have been carried out for the proposed transshipment port at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar. However, the matter is currently sub judice, and a final decision is pending.
