Bhubaneswar, Feb. 18 -- Forest land has increased in Odisha in last two decades by over 4,000 sq km as per the Forest Survey of India report, informed Minister of State for Forest, Environment & Climate Change Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia here in the Assembly today. He also stated that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Government of India has approved diversion of around 39,084 hectare forest land for over 400 developmental projects in the last two decades.

Khuntia's information was in response to a query by BJP MLA Amarendra Das regarding extent of Odisha's forest land in last 20 years and diversion of the same towards development purposes in the corresponding period. "How much forest land did Odisha possess two deca...