PARLIAMENT QUESTION:- Forest Cover in the Country
PARLIAMENT QUESTION:- Forest Cover in the Country
Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially. As per the latest India State of Forest Report (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 State/UT wise details of forest cover in the country during the last five years are given in Annexure.
The forest and tree cover has increased by 7449 square kilometer as per the assessment in ISFR 2021 in comparison to assessment in ISFR 2017. As there is no loss of forest and tree cover, the question of increase in emission of carbon dioxide due to loss of forest & tree cover does not arise.
The contradiction between India State of Forest Report 2021 and Global Forest Watch data may be due to difference in the definition of forest cover and tree cover adopted in these two reports.
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, was amended through a gazette notification dated 4th August, 2023 and the revised provisions came into effect from 1st December, 2023.The amendments are being implemented to promote the conservation, management and restoration of forests, support ecologically sustainable development, ensure ecological security, preserve cultural and traditional values related to forests and address economic needs while advancing carbon neutrality.
Annexure
State/UT wise details of Forest Cover from ISFR 2017 to ISFR 2021
(Area in square kilometre)
State/UT
Geographical Area
ISFR 2017
ISFR 2019
ISFR 2021
Andhra Pradesh
1,62,968
28,147
29,137
29,784
Arunachal Pradesh
83,743
66,964
66,688
66,431
Assam
78,438
28,105
28,327
28,312
Bihar
94,163
7,299
7,306
7,381
Chhattisgarh
1,35,192
55,547
55,611
55,717
Delhi
1,483
192.41
195.44
195
Goa
3,702
2,229
2,237
2,244
Gujarat
1,96,244
14,757
14,857
14,926
Haryana
44,212
1,588
1,602
1,603
Himachal Pradesh
55,673
15,100
15,434
15,443
Jharkhand
79,716
23,553
23,611
23,721
Karnataka
1,91,791
37,550
38,575
38,730
Kerala
38,852
20,321
21,144
21,253
Madhya Pradesh
3,08,252
77,414
77,482
77,493
Maharashtra
3,07,713
50,682
50,778
50,798
Manipur
22,327
17,346
16,847
16,598
Meghalaya
22,429
17,146
17,119
17,046
Mizoram
21,081
18,186
18,006
17,820
Nagaland
16,579
12,489
12,486
12,251
Odisha
1,55,707
51,345
51,619
52,156
Punjab
50,362
1,837
1,849
1,847
Rajasthan
3,42,239
16,572
16,630
16,655
Sikkim
7,096
3,344
3,342
3,341
Tamil Nadu
1,30,060
26,281
26,364
26,419
Telangana
1,12,077
20,419
20,582
21,214
Tripura
10,486
7,726
7,726
7,722
Uttar Pradesh
2,40,928
14,679
14,806
14,818
Uttarakhand
53,483
24,295
24,303
24,305
West Bengal
88,752
16,847
16,902
16,832
A & N Islands
8,249
6,742
6,743
6,744
Chandigarh
114
21.56
22.03
22.88
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman& Diu
602
227.49
227.49
227.75
Jammu & Kashmir **
2,22,236
23,241
21,358
21,287
Ladakh
2,254
2,272
Lakshadweep
30
27.10
27.10
27.10
Puducherry
490
53.67
52.41
53.30
Grand Total
3,287,469
7,08,273
7,12,249
713,789
** From ISFR 2019 onwards Jammu & Kashmir was divided into two UTs viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.