In a significant increase, India witnessed a 280 percent rise in the number of projects recommended within wildlife sanctuaries and national parks for the fiscal year 2023-24 compared to the previous year, according to recent data presented in Parliament. Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh disclosed these figures to the Lok Sabha, highlighting a substantial shift in forest area utilization and project approvals.

The data revealed that the number of project proposals approved in protected areas surged from 150 in 2022-23 to 421 in 2023-24. This follows a steady increase over previous years: 71 projects in 2019-20, 85 in 2020-21, and 154 in 2021-22.

Furthermore, Singh provided details on forest land diversion under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. Between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2023, a total of 957.25 square kilometers (95,724.99 hectares) of forest land was diverted for non-forestry purposes. The data indicated a marked increase in forest land diversion, with Madhya Pradesh leading at 22,614.74 hectares, followed by Odisha with 13,621.95 hectares, Arunachal Pradesh with 8,744.78 hectares, Gujarat with 7,402.97 hectares, and Uttar Pradesh with 6,184.64 hectares.

During this period, a total of 8,731 requests for forest land diversion were approved, which included 179 mining proposals. These mining approvals led to the diversion of 18,922.98 hectares of forest land.

In contrast, the area allocated for compensatory afforestation saw a decline in 2023-24, reaching 29,440.39 hectares—the lowest in the past five years. For comparison, compensatory afforestation figures were significantly higher in previous years: 35,718.16 hectares in 2019-20, 36,000.59 hectares in 2020-21, 42,151.06 hectares in 2021-22, and 39,263.19 hectares in 2022-23.

The marked increase in project approvals and the significant diversion of forest land underscore growing concerns about the balance between development and conservation. The government’s approach to managing forest resources and implementing compensatory measures will likely remain a focal point for environmentalists and policymakers in the coming years.