Forest cover expands in range of 7,13,789 square KM in 21.71% of geographical area of the country: Ashwini Kumar Choubey

Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially, since 1987 and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometer which is 21.71% of the geographical area of the country. The forest cover has increased by 1,540 square kilometer between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021 assessment. The State/UTs wise details of forest cover as per ISFR 2021 are given in Annexure.

To protect and improve the forest cover in the country, afforestation and tree plantation activities are undertaken by States/UTs. The Ministry provides financial assistance to States/UTs under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes namely Green India Mission (GIM) to support and supplement the efforts of States and Union Territories. GIM activities were started in the Financial Year 2015-16. During the last five years, the amount of Rs. 755.68 Crores has been released to seventeen States and one union territory for taking up the afforestation activities.

The Ministry has also implemented Centrally Sponsored Scheme, National Afforestation programme for regeneration of degraded forest and adjoining areas in the country.Under the scheme, an amount of Rs. 108.57 crore has been released during the years 2019-20 to 2021-22. National Afforestation Programme is now stands merged with Green India Mission.

The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages creation of 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25 under the funds available under Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA). The Nagar Van Yojana aims to enhance the green cover in the urban and peri-urban areas including biological diversity, provide ecological benefits and improve the quality of life of city dwellers. So far, the Ministry has approved 270 projects under Nagar Van Yojana with the total cost of Rs.238.64 Crore.

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA fund) is being utilized by States/UTs for taking up compensatory afforestation as per approved Annual Plan of Operations for compensating the loss of forest & tree cover due to diversion of forest land for developmental projects as per provisions of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 (CAF Act) and CAF Rules, 2018. During the last five years, an amount of Rs. 55,394.16 Crore has been released to State/UT Forest Department under CAMPA funds.

 Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes and schemes of line Ministry such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry etc. and under schemes of State Government/UT Administration through different departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc. The multi departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving and enhancing forest cover in the country.

The Ministry takes various steps to combat forest fires. The Ministry supports the efforts of the States/UTs in prevention and control of forest fire by providing financial assistance for various forest fire prevention and management measures such as modern tools for fire extinguishing, use of communication and information technology, etc. creation and maintenance of fire lines in forest areas, engagement of fire watchers, creation of water storage structures in forest areas, strengthening of forest infrastructure, procurement of firefighting equipment, soil and moisture conservation works in high risk areas, awareness creation, incentivizing villages/communities for protection against forest fire etc. under the Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme.

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 45  due for answer on 20.07.2023 regarding ‘Forest coverage in the country’

State/UTs details of Forest Cover as per ISFR 2021

(Area in square kilometer)
S. No.	State/UT	Geo-graphical Area (GA)	Total Forest Cover	Percentage of Geographical area	Change in Forest Cover w.r.t. ISFR 2019	Change Percentagew.r.t. 2019 assessment	Scrub
1	Andhra Pradesh	1,62,968	29,784	18.28	647	2.22	8,276
2	Arunachal Pradesh	83,743	66,431	79.33	-257	-0.39	797
3	Assam	78,438	28,312	36.09	-15	-0.05	228
4	Bihar	94,163	7,381	7.84	75	1.03	236
5	Chhattisgarh	1,35,192	55,717	41.21	106	0.19	615
6	Delhi	1,483	195.00	13.15	-0.44	-0.23	0.38
7	Goa	3,702	2,244	60.62	7	0.31	0
8	Gujarat	1,96,244	14,926	7.61	69	0.46	2,828
9	Haryana	44,212	1,603	3.63	1	0.06	159
10	Himachal  Pradesh	55,673	15,443	27.73	9	0.06	322
11	Jharkhand	79,716	23,721	29.76	110	0.47	584
12	Karnataka	1,91,791	38,730	20.19	155	0.40	4,611
13	Kerala	38,852	21,253	54.70	109	0.52	30
14	Madhya Pradesh	3,08,252	77,493	25.14	11	0.01	5,457
15	Maharashtra	3,07,713	50,798	16.51	20	0.04	4,247
16	Manipur	22,327	16,598	74.34	-249	-1.48	1,215
17	Meghalaya	22,429	17,046	76.00	-73	-0.43	663
18	Mizoram	21,081	17,820	84.53	-186	-1.03	1
19	Nagaland	16,579	12,251	73.90	-235	-1.88	824
20	Odisha	1,55,707	52,156	33.50	537	1.04	4,924
21	Punjab	50,362	1,847	3.67	-2	-0.11	34
22	Rajasthan	3,42,239	16,655	4.87	25	0.15	4,809
23	Sikkim	7,096	3,341	47.08	-1	-0.03	296
24	Tamil Nadu	1,30,060	26,419	20.31	55	0.21	758
25	Telangana	1,12,077	21,214	18.93	632	3.07	2,911
26	Tripura	10,486	7,722	73.64	-4	-0.05	33
27	Uttar Pradesh	2,40,928	14,818	6.15	12	0.08	563
28	Uttarakhand	53,483	24,305	45.44	2	0.01	392
29	West Bengal	88,752	16,832	18.96	-70	-0.41	156
30	A & N Islands	8,249	6,744	81.75	1	0.01	1
31	Chandigarh	114	22.88	20.07	0.85	3.86	0.38
32	Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	602	227.75	37.83	0.10	0.04	4.85
33	Jammu & Kashmir	2,22,236	21,387	39.15	29	0.14	284
34	Ladakh		2,272	1.35	18	0.80	279
35	Lakshadweep	30	27.10	90.33	0.00	0.00	0.00
36	Puducherry	490	53.30	10.88	0.89	1.70	0.00
Total		32,87,469	7,13,789	21.71	1,540	0.22	46,539

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.