Between 2015 and 2019, the environment ministry gave permission to cut more than one crore trees doe development work. However, what’s not clear here is that was the environment ministry really thinking about the environment? Or should it be renamed to ‘Development At A Cost’ ministry?

Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State (MoS) for Environment Babul Supriyo said the ministry gave permission to cut 1.09 crore trees for development purposes between 2014 and 2019.

He mentioned that out of all the five years, the highest number of trees were cut in 2018-19 for development.

"Trees are felled for various development purposes with the permission of competent authorities in accordance with the procedure laid down in various Acts. However, the ministry does not maintain data regarding the cutting of trees due to forest fire," Supriyo said.

AFP

According to the ministry data, it gave permission to cut 23.3 lakh trees in 2014-15, 16.9 lakh in 2015-16, 17.01 lakh in 2016-17 and 25.5 lakh in 2017-18.

Supriyo added that a sum of Rs 237.07 crore has been released in the last four years to 12 states under the Green India Mission for afforestation in an area of 87113.86 hectares and providing alternative energy devices to 56,319 households.

He added that under the National Afforestation Programme, an amount of Rs 328.90 crore has been released to the states to treat new area of 94,828 hectares during the last four years (2015-16 to 2018-19).

Under the Green India Mission, launched in 2015, the country aims to increase forest/tree cover area by 5 million hectares (mha), to enhance the quality of another 5 mha of forest cover and to thereby achieve annual sequestration of 50-60 million tonnes of carbon annually by 2020.

AFP

A recently published report titled “Performance of the National Action Plan on Climate Change” (NAPCC) drafted by the (Indian) Committee on Estimates (2018-19), said the progress of GIM has been severely limited.

The Opposition attacked Modi government for “destroying the future.”

"Trees are "life". Trees are "oxygen". Tress absorb "carbon dioxide".

Trees protect "environment". PM Narendra Modi-led government has cut a whopping 1,09,75,844 trees in the past 5 years! (Parliamentary Reply)," Congress'' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.