Home / Environment / India's Forests Shrink: Roads, Mining Top Land Use Changes
India's Forests Shrink: Roads, Mining Top Land Use Changes
4 Dec
Summary
- Road projects alone diverted over 22,000 hectares of forest land.
- Mining and quarrying followed, impacting nearly 19,000 hectares.
- Drinking water and power lines saw sharp increases in 2024-25.
Recent data reveals a substantial diversion of forest land in India for infrastructure development. Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, road projects alone accounted for the conversion of 22,233 hectares. Mining and quarrying activities followed, utilizing 18,914 hectares, while hydel and irrigation projects led to the diversion of 17,434 hectares.
Other significant sectors contributing to forest land diversion include power transmission lines (13,859 ha) and railway projects (5,957 ha). Smaller diversions were noted for various purposes, including drinking water, defense, and industries. The year 2024-25 marked a sharp increase in diversions for drinking water schemes, petrol pumps, and power transmission lines, with 180 new re-diversion cases also reported.
The Ministry of Environment stated that 3,826 road projects received forest clearance since 2020, the highest across all sectors. While the data highlights the scale of land diversion, information regarding the impact on affected populations is handled under separate land acquisition laws.
