New Delhi, Dec 14 (ANI): The Union Government on Monday clarified that to make the forest areas out of bound for mining and to protect them against illegal mining, the forest areas are being demarcated by erecting permanent boundary pillars.

Marking at appropriate points would aid to segregate forest land from other areas, the ministry said.

Union Environment and Forest Ministry stated in additional precaution is taken while according approval for mining in forest areas by invariably inserting other conditions.

At the cost of the project the project area has to be demarcated on ground at the project cost, using four feet high RCC pillars, with each pillar inscribed with the serial number, forward and backward bearings and distance between two adjacent pillars and fencing, protection and regeneration of the safety zone area which is 7.5 meter strip all along the outer boundary of the mining lease area has to be done, the ministry said.

Centre has carried out fresh forest survey to determine how much success has been achieved in plantation of trees over the years.

The information is being collected from different sources and will be laid on the table of the House after collection and compilation of the same. As per India State of Forest Report, 2009, the total forest cover is 690.899 sq kilometres, which is 21.02 percent of the total geographical area of the country. (ANI)