According to reports, the Environment Ministry has informed the Parliament on July 26th that the government has allowed over one crore trees to be cut within a span of five years for development work.  

The MoS for Environment, Babul Supriyo responded to the Lok Sabha stating that the Ministry gave permission to cut 1.09 crore trees for development purposes between the years 2014- 2019. 

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. 

The reports also stated that the highest number of trees (26.91 lakh) were uprooted in 2018-19. And the Ministry 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 also added, 

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. 

Not just 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 i.e. between 2015- 2016 to 2018-2019. 

Opposition party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala retaliated by stating that BJP is destroying the future by chopping off these trees.