Maharashtra forest lands go missing

Responding to a special leave petition filed by Godawarm over the status of forest land in Maharashtra, the forest department had in 1997 filed a comprehensive affidavit in the apex court, saying that the total forest land in Maharashtra was 66.85 lakh hectares. However, according to the forest department’s report for 2008-09, it was 61.93 lakh hectares. According to the report,in 2008-09, Maharashtra had 45.36 lakh hectares reserved forest, 3.56 lakh hectares protected forest and 2.44 lakh hectares unclassified forest land. Thus, between 1997 and 2008, over five lakh hectares of forest land has gone missing from the records of the state forest department. In fact, the forest department noticed the drastic reduction in 2006 itself and accordingly, the principal chief conservator of forests had written confidential letters to all the district collectors to record the status of all types of forest lands accross the state afresh. An official admitted that probably Maharashtra was the only state where the forest cover was steadily depleting and no steps were taken to restore the same. “We have the largest number of forest officials, but we are unable to protect the forest areas. We should at least have been able to maintain the forest cover,” hesaid. Secondly, the official said, besides the forest department, the revenue department too was responsible for the steady decrease in the forest cover. “In several districts, it was found that the revenue department passed orders pertaining to forest lands despite the fact that it has no right to adjudicate such matters. Apparently, the forest department is at the receiving end as the revenue department has exceeded its brief, particularly while disposing of matters related to forest lands,” he said.