VISAKHAPATNAM: A total of 1,315.62 hectares of forest land was diverted for non-forest purposes in Andhra Pradesh between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2026, according to data placed before the Rajya Sabha by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
In a written reply by MP Sanjay Singh, the Ministry said 1,05,594.32 hectares of forest land were diverted across country during the five-year period under the provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
In Andhra Pradesh, the highest diversion was reported in 2024-25, when 405.87 hectares of forest land was approved for non-forest use. The Ministry said prior approval for diversion of forest land is granted only after imposing conditions such as compensatory afforestation, payment of Net Present Value (NPV), soil and moisture conservation measures, wildlife management plans and catchment area treatment plans, wherever applicable.
It added that proposals for diversion of forest land are processed through the PARIVESH online portal, while information on the number of trees felled is maintained by the respective State and Union Territory governments.
The Ministry noted that the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 showed that the country’s forest and tree cover had increased by 1,445.81 sq km compared with the 2021 assessment, reaching 8,27,356.95 sq km, or 25.17% of India’s geographical area. The country’s estimated carbon stock also increased by 81.5 million tonnes to 7,285.5 million tonnes, according to the report.