India diverted 1,734 square kilometers of forest land for development activities over the past decade—a figure significantly exceeding the total geographical area of Delhi, according to the government data, reported the PTI.

In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said 1,73,396.87 (1.73 lakh) hectares of forest land had been approved for non-forest use, including infrastructure projects, under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, between 2014-15 and 2023-24, as per the PTI.