Bihar seeks central permission to divert 5,778.62 acres of forest land
The state government has proposed land diversions for industrial, solar energy, manufacturing, road and eco-tourism projects across Bihar.
The Bihar government has sought permission from the Centre to divert 5,778.62 acres of forest land for various projects, including solar energy, manufacturing, roads and eco-tourism, according to a report by Urban Acres.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary raised these pending proposals during a meeting with Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Among the proposals is the construction of a proposed Gaya zoo on 45.9 hectares of forest land, for which the state has sought approval from the Central Zoo Authority.
In Jamui district, the state requested approval to divert 4,340 acres of forest land, which is part of the 9,000 acres required for proposed steel industries and solar energy projects.
The state has also sought to divert 1,308.72 acres of forest land for an Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Dobhi in Gaya district under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor.
Other proposals include upgrading the 5.8-km Madanpur-Paniyahwa road inside the Valmiki Tiger Reserve as an elevated corridor and diverting 84 acres in Munger district for an industrial area at Sangrampur.
Choudhary told the Union minister that projects should proceed while maintaining a balance between economic development and environmental protection, requesting early scrutiny of the proposals.
The next stage involves the examination of the individual proposals by the relevant authorities.