Forest Cover in the Country

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 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.

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