Only 56 per cent of the forest area notified by the state government has been converted into reserved forests since 2019. According to information obtained through an RTI from the forest department, the government has notified approximately 1.18 lakh hectares as forest land across 11 circles in the state from January 1, 2019, to July 24, 2024. However, only 67,000 hectares—about 56 per cent of the notified area—has been officially declared as reserved forest during the same period.

The process of declaring an area as a reserved forest is governed by the Indian Forest Act of 1927, a key piece of legislation designed to protect and regulate forest resources. The procedure begins with a notification under Section 4, which initiates an inquiry into rights and claims over the land. The final declaration under Section 20 formally establishes the area as a reserved forest, subjecting it to stringent protection measures.