PANAJI
A whopping over 280 ha of forest land in Goa was diverted for non-forest purposes in the last five years ending March 2023. The diversion was towards various projects including railway double tracking, power transmission and other State government projects.
According to the information tabled in Lok Sabha, Union Minister for State for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey, over 90,000 ha of forest land is put to use for non-forest purpose across 33 States and Union territories since 2018-19.
In Goa, 280.83 ha of forest land was used for non-forest purposes from 2018-19 to 2022-23.
As per the State Forest report 2021 (released once in two years), almost 60 per cent of Goa’s geographical area is under forest cover.
The Minister said that States have to undertake Compensatory Afforestation, towards the loss of forest land for non-forest purposes. Centre had released around Rs 260 crore to the State for taking up compensatory afforestation for compensating the loss of forest & tree cover due to the diversion of forest land for non-forestry activities.
Considering the forest cover loss since 2009, Goa has a target of 3,541 ha for compensatory afforestation of which, the State has managed to complete 2,143 ha till June.
