India, Nov. 10 -- More than half of Maharashtra's notified forest land is yet to receive full legal protection as reserved forests, exposing serious lapses in the state's forest conservation system, even as satellite data confirms continued tree loss, according to official records.

Data obtained through an Right to Information (RTI) application filed with the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (HoFF) reveals that between January 1, 2019, and June 30, 2025, the state notified 1,21,198 hectares of forest under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act (IFA), 1927 - the preliminary step toward declaring a reserved forest.

However, only 65,611 hectares have been finally declared under Section 20 of the Act, which grants full lega...