Is Development of Maharashtra a Threat to State Forests and Environment?

The study has investigated whether the development of Maharashtra has caused a threat to state forests and environment using the secondary data from different government publications for the period 1960 to 2002–03. The paper has covered the following aspects for study: land utilization pattern, areas under foodgrains and forests, change in the gross values of output from agriculture and forestry, and initiatives of the state government for protection of forest and environment. The study has observed that area under non-agricultural uses has increased from 11.5 lakh ha in 1986–87 to 13.7 lakh ha in 2001–02, while forest area has declined from 64.2 thousand ha (in 1980–81) to 61.9 thousand ha in 2001–02. The rise in area in the former case and decline in the latter case can be viewed as a threat to environment. The study has outlined some suggestions for protection of environment and natural resources in the state.