Bits and pieces: Forest fragmentation by linear intrusions in India

•There was a 6% increase in number of patches due to linear infrastructure.•60 % of India’s forest cover is represented by < 1% of the forest patches.•70 % of the assessed PAs had linear infrastructure passing through them.•Central India has more number of large patches (> 1000 km2) than the Western Ghats.•Patches in Central India are more isolated than patches in the Western Ghats.