Lok Sabha Question No. 6023 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-11
Subject: Tree Census
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  6023

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.04.2017

## Tree Census

## 6023.    SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal to conduct tree census in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI)  conducts  regular  inventory  of  trees  in  and outside forests in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the reports of FSI has shown any decline in the number of trees and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken to plant more trees in the country in coordination with State Governments?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIORNMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) & (b)   There is no proposal to conduct tree census in the country. However, the  Forest Survey of India (FSI) conducts regular inventory of forest and trees outside forests under its National Forest  Inventory  Programme.  The  Inventory  is  conducted  by  selecting  60  districts randomly on a cycle of two years. On the basis of data collected from these 60 districts, growing  stock  estimates  are  generated  at  National  and  State  levels  and  the  results  are published in 'India State of Forest Report (ISFR)' on biennial basis. The information as per ISFR 2011, ISFR 2013 and 2015 is given in Annexure.
- (c) The number of trees are increasing marginally inside as well as outside the forest areas. As per ISFR 2015, there is an increase of about 3.3 percent in forests and 6.7 percent in trees outside forests areas as compared to ISFR 2013. The State-wise details are not available.
- (d)    Afforestation Programme is taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Green India Mission (GIM), Mahatma Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Integrated  Watershed Management  Programme  (IWMP)  which  from  2015-16  has  been  amalgamated  as  the Watershed  Development  Component  of  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana (PMKSY)'. National  Bamboo  Mission  (NBM)  and  under  Compensatory  Afforestation Fund  Management and  Planning  Authority  (CAMPA),  different  State  Plan/  Non-  Plan Schemes including Externally Aided Projects.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 6023 due for answer on 11.04.2017 regarding 'Tree Census'.

## Estimated number of trees in Forests and Trees Outside Forests (TOF) as per India State of Forest Reports (ISFR).

(in million)

| ISFR 2011   | ISFR 2011   | ISFR 2013   | ISFR 2013   | ISFR 2015   | ISFR 2015   |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Forest      | TOF         | Forest      | TOF         | Forest      | TOF         |
| *           | 5068        | 13062       | 5080        | 13495       | 5418        |

*    Estimated number of stems in forest area for ISFR 2011 is not available as forest inventory was not conducted during 2008-10.