Gurgaon: Haryana is planning to create a forest land bank to compensate for the loss of green cover in the state. Amid diversion of narrow forest strips — along highways, canals and railway lines — increasing for infrastructure and commercial projects, a proposal prepared by Haryana Forest Development Corporation (HFDC) suggests the creation of the land bank for smaller projects involving diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. Once the land bank is created, project proponents seeking diversion of small patches of forest land — including access for petrol pumps, warehouses, industries or real estate projects — will be required to purchase land from HFDC. The land is proposed to be procured through the govt’s e-bhoomi portal, officials said. A committee, headed by the managing director of HFDC, has been proposed to oversee the purchase.In the first phase, the corporation plans to acquire around 100 acres (about 40 hectares) of land, with an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore. The land bank would primarily be used to compensate diversion proposals involving less than one hectare of forest land. Haryana currently has around 3.5% forest cover, among the lowest in the country. A large part of this forest area exists as strip forests along roads, national highways, canals, bunds and railway lines, which often form the primary tree cover in several districts.“The forest area of strips, especially along roads, is being diverted either by widening of roads or by seeking access through the forest lands for non-forestry purposes such as petrol pumps, warehouses, industries and development projects,” the proposal notes.Data shared by the Union environment ministry shows that more than 1,150 hectares of forest land in Haryana were diverted for over 1,280 projects between April 2021 and Oct 2025, indicating steady pressure on the state’s already limited forest cover. The issue was discussed at a meeting on March 9, where officials decided on the proposal of the forest land bank model on the lines of Punjab to deal with diversion of small parcels of forest land.Under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes generally requires prior approval of the central govt. The amended law, however, provides a limited exemption for diversion of forest land up to 0.10 hectare located alongside railway lines or public roads, if it is used to provide access to habitations or basic roadside or rail amenities.“While the exemption applies to very small parcels, states like Haryana, where a large share of the remaining tree cover exists as roadside and canal strip forests, could see cumulative impacts over time,” a forest official said.To address the issue, HFDC proposed creating the land bank by purchasing degraded land, preferably located near or contiguous to existing forest areas. The committee will also include the APCCF (forest conservation)-cum-nodal officer under the forest conservation law, the conservator of forests, south circle, Gurgaon, as member secretary, and a representative from the land revenue department.Officials say the mechanism is aimed at ensuring that multiple small diversions do not lead to a permanent reduction in Haryana’s already limited forest cover, even as infrastructure expansion continues across districts such as Gurgaon and Faridabad.“Strip forests may look insignificant individually, but together they form the backbone of Haryana’s green cover and act as critical buffers along roads and canals,” environmentalist Vivek Kamboj said, adding, “The FCA exemption for small parcels has unintentionally encouraged piecemeal diversion and over time this led to a visible thinning of green cover. A land bank can help compensate for losses, but it should not become a substitute for protecting existing forests.“
