India, April 5 -- A statutory advisory panel under India's environment ministry has approved a plan to offset the clearing of a massive tract of contiguous jungle in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli by planting replacement forest 1,000 kilometres away, in 23 fragmented patches, on land the government's own data shows is already largely forested.

The forest proposed for diversion is a single unbroken 937-hectare block within the Bhamragad Reserve Forest - a southern tropical dry deciduous jungle dominated by teak and bamboo, supporting Indian gaur, sloth bear, leopard, dhole, tiger and the central Indian giant squirrel, where approximately 123,000 trees could be felled to make way for an iron ore project.

The block straddles a critical wildlife ...