Srinagar, Apr 14: As many as 2,743 proposals seeking forest clearance for various developmental works have been filed in Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019.
As per the details available with Rising Kashmir, Stage-II approval has been granted in 522 cases covering 636.33 hectares of forest land.
An additional 1,151 cases have received Stage-I approval, accounting for 1,453.11 hectares, while 1,070 proposals remain under process at different administrative levels.
As per the details, a total of 1,690 forest clearance cases had earlier been sanctioned under the J&K Forest (Conservation) Act, 1997, before the launch of the PARIVESH portal.
A 20-year State Action Plan on Forest Fire (SAPFF) has been formulated, alongside the formation of a State-Level Monitoring Committee to oversee prevention efforts under Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The J&K Forest Policy of 2011 recognises fire prevention as a key component of forest protection and ecological restoration.
It also stated that clearance of forest land for non-forestry use is being processed under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, with timelines for approvals defined under the Van Rules, 2023, to ensure time-bound certification.
