Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Feb 13: More than 280 hectares of forest land in Goa has been diverted for non-forest purposes between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2025, according to official data tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh informed Parliament that 280.65 hectares of forest land was diverted for nearly 35 projects during the four-year period. The projects include an airport, road widening works, a power substation, power transmission lines and railway double tracking.

The highest diversion was recorded in 2023–24 at 178.19 hectares. In comparison, 97.65 hectares was diverted in 2020–21. In recent years, 15.6 hectares of forest land was cleared for the Kulem–Madgaon railway double-tracking project.

For the current financial year, diversion of forest land has already been approved for 13 government and private sector projects.

The data also points to infrastructure expansion proposals passing through ecologically sensitive zones. The State has proposed expansion of a 53-metre stretch of the Goa–Belagavi highway, which would require felling 7,774 trees. The highway passes through the eco-sensitive zone of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary.

Meanwhile, under compensatory afforestation (CA) obligations, the State Forest Department plans to undertake plantation over 487.98 hectares in a phased manner over three years. Of this, 130 hectares is proposed to be covered this year, while 178.49 hectares each is planned for 2026–27 and 2027–28.

In September last year, the Union Ministry permitted Goa to utilise notified private forest land for raising compensatory afforestation, citing scarcity of suitable land. At present, 91.6 square kilometres of land in the State is notified as private forest.