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Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav stated on Thursday that forest cover in some hill states, including Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), has decreased due to ongoing infrastructure and healthcare facility upgrades. 

 

Yadav also highlighted the government's responsibility to provide essential services, such as health and road access, to every village. 

Responding to a query from Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan, who raised concerns about the decline in forest cover due to government projects, Yadav said, "It is the government's duty to ensure that roads and healthcare facilities are available to the common man."

 

He also clarified that, according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report, no forest cover had been lost in Uttarakhand.

 

The FSI report revealed that J&K's forest cover decreased from 23,241 sq km in 2017 to 21,387 sq km in 2021. Similar declines have been observed in Arunachal Pradesh, where forest cover reduced from 66,964 sq km to 66,431 sq km, as well as in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland.

 

Ranjan expressed concerns about the destruction of forests in the name of development and urged the government to protect the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone as part of the Chardham project.

 

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari assured that the government would safeguard eco-sensitive zones in its projects. 

 

"Out of the total 900-km Chardham project, only a 150-km stretch remains to be constructed," Gadkari said.

 

The Chardham project, inaugurated in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four shrines—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Gadkari highlighted the project's strategic importance, stating, "It goes up to the China border.

 

Both national and ecological interests will be protected." He also noted that the detailed project report was prepared by Swiss consultants and assured that no trees would be cut down.

 

The project faced delays due to a 2018 petition by an NGO citing ecological damage, but Gadkari reiterated the government's commitment to completing it while balancing development with environmental conservation.