Bihar seeks central permission to divert 5,778.62 acres of forest land
The state government has proposed using the land for solar energy, industrial, manufacturing, road and eco-tourism projects.
The Bihar government has sought permission from the Centre to divert 5,778.62 acres of forest land for various projects, including solar energy, industry, manufacturing, roads and eco-tourism, according to 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.
The state has also requested to divert 4,340 acres of forest land in Jamui district for proposed solar energy and steel industries, which require a total of 9,000 acres.
In Gaya district, Bihar has sought approval to divert 1,308.72 acres of forest land out of the 1,600 acres required for an Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Dobhi under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor.
Other proposals include upgrading the 5.8-km Madanpur-Paniyahwa road inside 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 faster processing of the proposals.
The individual proposals must now be examined by the relevant authorities before any diversions are approved.