India, Oct. 15 -- Acting on directives from the Supreme Court, the Pune Forest Department will launch a field survey on October 15 to identify reserved forest land currently in the possession of the Revenue Department. The survey is expected to be completed by November 15, a forest official said.

In May 2025, the Apex Court ordered all states and union territories to establish Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to determine whether forest land held by the Revenue Department had been allotted for non-forestry purposes. The Court directed that such land either be returned to the Forest Department or, if restoration is not feasible, that compensation be collected and used for forest development. The entire process is to be completed within ...