(a) whether the Government has set up any mechanism to monitor and check illegal
cutting/felling of trees in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the people are reluctant to report illegal felling of trees by the
timber mafia in the country;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the remedial steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) & (b) Forest being a concurrent subject, management of forests including control of
illegal felling of trees lies with the respective State/UT Governments. There are a number of
legislations like Indian Forest Act 1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and other relevant
State Acts which empower the State to take cognizance of forest offences including illegal
felling of trees. This Ministry provides financial assistance to State/UT Governments under
various Centrally Sponsored Schemes including the Scheme ‘Intensification of Forest Management’
(IFMS), for activities like strengthening of infrastructure viz. check posts, buildings for
frontline staff, use of modern technology that includes wireless network, remote sensing,
geographical information system, information technology, global positioning system (GPS) and
differential GPS, improved mobility to the field staff by providing vehicles for patrolling,
survey and demarcation of forest areas including digitization of recorded forest areas and
construction of boundary pillars etc.
In addition to above, the State/UT Governments take various steps for protection of the forest
areas which include patrolling of forest areas, strengthening of the check posts/barriers, fire
alerts, involvement of Joint Forest Management Committees in preventing illegal felling of trees.
(c) to (e) No such reports have come to the notice of the Ministry that people are reluctant
to report about the forest damage to concerned authorities. Often such reports are received by
the Police/authorities in Forest Department through local people. However, such details are not
compiled at the level of this Ministry.