Lok Sabha Question No. 1088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-22
Subject: Forest Conservation
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1088

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2016

## Forest Conservation

## 1088.  SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE :

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

- (a) whether  the Government  has  developed  any  mechanism  to  ensure  protection, preservation conservation and growth of forests in the country;
- (b) if so, the details and salient features thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the forest cover across the country, as on date;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study on the shrinking of forests and the problems connected therewith in the country, if so, the details and outcome thereof and if not the reasons therefor;
- (d) the salient features of the Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS) along with the details of the funds provided to the State Governments under the said scheme for forest management and protection across the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) & (b)  Protection, preservation and conservation of forests is primarily the responsibility of State/Union Territory Governments. However, the Ministry support the efforts of  State/Union  Territory  Governments  to  protect,  conserve  and  manage  the forests.  Financial  assistance  is  provided  to  States  and  Union  Territories  for various forest conservation and protection measures under Centrally Sponsored Schemes  such  as  Intensification  of  Forest  Management  Scheme,  Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat, Project Tiger etc. Further, to increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation programme is taken up under various Centrally Sponsored    Schemes  such  as  National  Afforestation  Programme,  Green  India Mission,  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (MGNREGS), the Watershed Development Component of the 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)'  and    Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The State and Union Territory wise figures of  Forest Cover in the country as per India State of Forest Report 2015 are at Annexure-I.
- (c) Forest Survey of India, Dehradun assesses Forest Cover of  on a biennial basis and  the  results  are  published  in  India  State  of  Forest  Report.  As  per  the  India State of Forest Report 2015, the forest cover of India is 701673 sq. km which is an increase of 3775 sq. km as compared to India State of Forest Report 2013.
- (d) & (e)  Under the Centrally Sponsored Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS), financial assistance is provided to States and Union Territories for  protection  and  management  of  forests.  Funds  under  the scheme are  largely utilized  for  patrolling  of  the  forests,  establishment  of  camps,  watch  towers  for detection and monitoring of forest fires, creation and maintenance of fire lines, survey  and  demarcation  of  forest  areas,  strengthening  forest  infrastructure  and preparation of Working Plans.

The  details  of  funds  provided  to  the  States  and  Union  Territories  under  the Intensification  of  Forest  Management  Scheme  for  forest  management  and protection across the country during each of the last three years and current year are at Annexure-II.

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## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  REPLY  OF  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1088 DUE FOR 22.11.2016 REGARDING FOREST CONSERVATION ASKED BY SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB AND SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE

(Area in square km)

| States/UTs          | Geographical Area   | Total Forest   |   Percentage of geographical area |
|---------------------|---------------------|----------------|-----------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh      | 160,204             | 24,424         |                             15.25 |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 83,743              | 67,248         |                             80.3  |
| Assam               | 78,438              | 27,623         |                             35.22 |
| Bihar               | 94,163              | 7,288          |                              7.74 |
| Chhattisgarh        | 135,191             | 55,586         |                             41.12 |
| Delhi               | 1,483               | 188.77         |                             12.73 |
| Goa                 | 3,702               | 2,224          |                             60.08 |
| Gujarat             | 196,022             | 14,660         |                              7.48 |
| Haryana             | 44,212              | 1,584          |                              3.58 |
| Himachal Pradesh    | 55,673              | 14,695         |                             26.4  |
| Jammu &Kashmir      | 222,236             | 22,988         |                             10.34 |
| Jharkhand           | 79,714              | 23,478         |                             29.45 |
| Karnataka           | 191,791             | 36,421         |                             18.99 |
| Kerala              | 38,863              | 19,239         |                             49.5  |
| Madhya Pradesh      | 308,245             | 77,462         |                             25.13 |
| Maharashtra         | 307,713             | 50,628         |                             16.45 |
| Manipur             | 22,327              | 16,994         |                             76.11 |
| Meghalaya           | 22,429              | 17,217         |                             76.76 |
| Mizoram             | 21,081              | 18,748         |                             88.93 |
| Nagaland            | 16,579              | 12,966         |                             78.21 |
| Odisha              | 155,707             | 50,354         |                             32.34 |
| Punjab              | 50,362              | 1,771          |                              3.52 |
| Rajasthan           | 342,239             | 16,171         |                              4.73 |
| Sikkim              | 7,096               | 3,357          |                             47.31 |
| Tamil Nadu          | 130058              | 26,345         |                             20.26 |
| Telangana           | 114,865             | 21,591         |                             18.8  |
| Tripura             | 10,486              | 7,811          |                             74.49 |
| Uttar Pradesh       | 240,928             | 14,461         |                              6    |
| Uttarakhand         | 53,483              | 24,240         |                             45.32 |
| West Bengal         | 88,752              | 16,828         |                             18.96 |
| A&N Islands         | 8,249               | 6,751          |                             81.84 |
| Chandigarh          | 114                 | 22.03          |                             19.32 |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 491                 | 203            |                             41.96 |
| Daman &Diu          | 112                 | 19.61          |                             17.51 |
| Lakshadweep         | 32                  | 27.06          |                             84.56 |
| Puducherry          | 480                 | 55.38          |                             11.54 |
| Grand Total         | 3,287,263           | 701,673        |                             21.34 |

ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  REPLY  OF  PART  (d)  &  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1088  DUE  FOR  22.11.2016  REGARDING  FOREST CONSERVATION ASKED BY SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB AND SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE

(Rs. In Lakhs)

| S. No.            | States            | 2013-14 Released   | 2014-15 Released   | 2015-16 Released   | 2016-17 released (as on 17.11.2016)   |
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Other States      | Other States      |                    |                    |                    |                                       |
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh    | 38.21              | 0.00               | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 2                 | Bihar             | 43.32              | 0.00               | 59.09              | 88.59                                 |
| 3                 | Chhattisgarh      | 253.25             | 411.96             | 120.75             | -                                     |
| 4                 | Gujarat           | 345.76             | 349.71             | 179.99             | 122.26                                |
| 5                 | Goa               | 61.17              | 0.00               | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 6                 | Haryana           | 153.64             | 149.56             | 77.86              | 93.91                                 |
| 7                 | Himachal Pradesh  | 364.41             | 365.90             | 302.16             | 331.36                                |
| 8                 | Jammu &Kashmir    | 105.24             | 0.00               | 193.93             | -                                     |
| 9                 | Jharkhand         | 254.88             | 303.03             | 83.62              | -                                     |
| 10                | Karnataka         | 324.47             | 266.54             | 228.19             | 203.27                                |
| 11                | Kerala            | 254.76             | 183.76             | 86.00              | 163.65                                |
| 12                | Madhya Pradesh    | 744.16             | 701.07             | 420.00             | 224.92                                |
| 13                | Maharashtra       | 95.96              | 228.02             | 447.32             | 298.06                                |
| 14                | Orissa            | 203.25             | 220.50             | 136.00             | 266.14                                |
| 15                | Punjab            | -                  | 0.00               | 77.00              | 0.00                                  |
| 16                | Rajasthan         | 145.02             | 205.09             | 112.54             | 174.22                                |
| 17                | Tamil Nadu        | -                  | 0.00               | 203.02             | 74.29                                 |
| 18                | Telangana         | -                  | 160.73             | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 19                | Uttar Pradesh     | 138.29             | 218.36             | 156.15             | 139.72                                |
| 20                | Uttarakhand       | 299.33             | 332.57             | 356.83             | 304.03                                |
| 21                | West Bengal       | -                  | 115.46             | 0.00               | 92.83                                 |
|                   | Total             | 3825.12            | 4212.26            | 3240.45            | 2577.25                               |
| NE &Sikkim        | NE &Sikkim        |                    |                    |                    |                                       |
| 1                 | Assam             | -                  | 0.00               | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh | -                  | 219.59             | 85.07              | 181.34                                |
| 3                 | Manipur           | 294.86             | 0.00               | 240.76             | 100.02                                |
| 4                 | Meghalaya         | 244.83             | 0.00               | 180.26             | 126.57                                |
| 5                 | Mizoram           | 284.74             | 256.27             | 153.17             | 131.29                                |
| 6                 | Nagaland          | 145.92             | 225.13             | 122.6              | 136.01                                |
| 7                 | Sikkim            | 166.5              | 162.17             | 150.00             | 119.73                                |
| 8                 | Tripura           | 131.8              | 243.84             | 147.19             | 190.76                                |
|                   | Total             | 1268.65            | 1107.00            | 1079.05            | 985.72                                |
| Union Territories | Union Territories |                    |                    |                    |                                       |
| 1                 | A &NIslands       | 13.04              | -                  | 28.00              | -                                     |
| 2                 | Chandigarh        | -                  | -                  | 3699.890           | 74.52                                 |
| 3                 | D&N Haveli        | -                  | -                  | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 4                 | Daman &Diu        | -                  | -                  | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 5                 | Lakshadweep       | -                  | -                  | 0.00               | -                                     |
| 6                 | New Delhi         | -                  | -                  | 0.00               | 50.00                                 |
| 7                 | Pondicherry       | -                  | 37.77              | 0.00               | -                                     |
|                   | Total             | 13.04              | 37.77              | 64.99890           | 124.52                                |
| Grand             | Total             | 5106.81            | 5357.03            | 4384.49890         | 3687.49                               |