Odisha Ranks Second in Forest Land Diversion for Development Projects

Forest Land Diversion Statistics

Bhubaneswar: In the past four years, Odisha has seen the approval of 11,033.08 hectares of forest land for non-forest purposes, placing it second among Indian states for such diversions.

Madhya Pradesh leads with the highest diversion, totaling 17,393.65 hectares, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 6,561.47 hectares, Uttar Pradesh at 5,480.43 hectares, and Chhattisgarh at 4,092.01 hectares.

This information was presented in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, who noted that over 78,100 hectares of forest land have been sanctioned for diversion nationwide in the last four years.

In a written statement, the minister revealed that 12,324.32 hectares of forest land were approved for diversion in the first half of 2025.

According to the data shared by Singh, from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2025, a total of 78,135.84 hectares were approved for non-forest use. Gujarat accounted for 4,959 hectares, while Jharkhand had 4,431.91 hectares approved for similar purposes.

Rajasthan's diversion stood at 4,180.06 hectares, Maharashtra at 3,603.62 hectares, and Uttar Pradesh again at 5,480.43 hectares.

Other states with significant forest land clearance included Andhra Pradesh (1,020.63 ha), Karnataka (1,385.38 ha), and Himachal Pradesh (1,429.84 ha).

Manipur reported a diversion of 1,720.11 hectares, while Assam had 722.24 hectares approved.

Smaller amounts were noted from Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Delhi approved 118.59 hectares, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 104.14 hectares, and Ladakh less than one hectare.

The Environment Ministry previously informed Parliament that from 2014 to 2024, over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land were approved for non-forestry uses across India, with mining and hydropower projects being the primary contributors.