Around 3.1 million trees cut for infra projects in 2020-21:Govt

NEW DELHI: Around 3.1 million trees were cut down for public infrastructure projects across India in 2020-21, Union minister Bhupender Yadav told Lok Sabha on Monday.

In response Bharatiya Janata Party member Kirit Premjibhai Solanki’s question, Yadav said ₹359 crore was also spent on compensatory afforestation in 2020-21. “The permission for tree felling is accorded by the respective state governments/union territory administrations under the provisions of various Acts, rules, guidelines and directions of courts. However, during 2020-21, proposals involving 30,97,721 number of trees have been accorded prior approval under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 by the ministry,” Yadav said in his written response.

He added over 36 million seedlings were planted as part of the compensatory afforestation during that year at the cost of ₹358.87 crore. Yadav said not a single tree was cut for developmental projects in Delhi during 2020-21. He added over 53,000 seedlings were planted under the compensatory afforestation scheme at the cost of ₹97 lakh in the city.

Maximum trees were cut down in Madhya Pradesh (16,40,532), followed by Uttar Pradesh (3,11,998) and Odisha (2,23,375). The maximum money for afforestation was spent in Gujarat ( ₹52 crore), followed by Uttarakhand ( ₹48.2 crore) and Haryana ( ₹45 crore).