Forest Cover in the Country
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) published in 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/UTs wise details of forest cover as per ISFR, since 2019 are given in Annexure.
The tree cover increased by 721 square kilometer during 2019 to 2021. There is no loss of tree cover during 2019 and 2021. Therefore, the question of increase in emission of carbon dioxide due to loss of tree cover does not arise.
The contradictions between India State of Forest Report 2021 and Global Forest Watch data may be because of the differences in the definition of forest cover and tree cover adopted in these two reports.
At present there in no plan to amend the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhniyam, 1980.
Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 132 due for answer on 22.07.2024 regarding ‘Forest Cover in the country’
States/UTs wise details of change in Forest Cover from ISFR 2019 to ISFR 2021
(Area in square kilometre)
Sl. No.
States/UTs
ISFR 2019
ISFR 2021
1
Andhra Pradesh
29,137
29,784
2
Arunachal Pradesh
66,688
66,431
3
Assam
28,327
28,312
4
Bihar
7,306
7,381
5
Chhattisgarh
55,611
55,717
6
Delhi
195
195
7
Goa
2,237
2,244
8
Gujarat
14,857
14,926
9
Haryana
1,602
1,603
10
Himachal Pradesh
15,434
15,443
11
Jammu & Kashmir
23,612*
21,387
12
Jharkhand
23,611
23,721
13
Karnataka
38,575
38,730
14
Kerala
21,144
21,253
15
Madhya Pradesh
77,482
77,493
16
Maharashtra
50,778
50,798
17
Manipur
16,847
16,598
18
Meghalaya
17,119
17,046
19
Mizoram
18,006
17,820
20
Nagaland
12,486
12,251
21
Odisha
51,619
52,156
22
Punjab
1,849
1,847
23
Rajasthan
16,630
16,655
24
Sikkim
3,342
3,341
25
Tamil Nadu
26,364
26,419
26
Telangana
20,582
21,214
27
Tripura
7,726
7,722
28
Uttar Pradesh
14,806
14,818
29
Uttarakhand
24,303
24,305
30
West Bengal
16,902
16,832
31
A&N Islands
6,743
6,744
32
Chandigarh
22
23
33
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and
Daman & Diu
227
228
34
Ladakh
*
2,272
35
Lakshadweep
27
27
36
Puducherry
52
53
Grand Total
7,12,249
7,13,789
* The report of ISFR 2019 reported combined forest cover of 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.