Lok Sabha Question No. 1863 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-14
Subject: Decline in Forest Cover
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ABHISHEK SINGH

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1863 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2017

## Decline in Forest Cover

## 1863.    SHRI ABHISHEK SINGH:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that forest cover of many States has declined in the last few years and if so, the corrective action taken thereon;
- (b) whether the data of forest cover since independence is available with the Government and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (c) the details of the steps been taken by the Government to conserve and protect forest cover in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Forest Survey  of India, Dehradun,  a  subordinate organization under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has been carrying out the assessment of forest cover  of  the  country  biennially.  The  findings  of  the  assessment  are  published  in  India State of Forest Report. The latest report in the series is India State of Forest Report 2015. As  per  this  report,  the  total  forest  cover  of  the  country  is  7,  01,673  square  kilometers which is 21.34% of the total geographical area of the country. Some States have shown increase  in  forest  cover  whereas  in  some  States the  forest  cover  has  shown  as  decline. However,  there  is  a  net  increase  of  3775  square  kilometers  in  the  forest  cover  of  the country as compared with India State of Forest Report-2013. The detailed list showing forest cover and change in forest cover States/UTs wise is given in Annexure.
- (b) Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun has been carrying out the assessment of forest cover of the country using remote sensing technology since 1987 biennially. So far, 14 Reports  have  been  published.    However,  the  forest  cover  based  on  the  remote  sensing data is not available prior to 1987.
- (c) To increase the forest cover in the country, 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)' and under Compensatory

Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). National Afforestation Programme (NAP) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for afforestation and tree plantation and eco-restoration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through people's participation in the country. The scheme is being  implemented  through  a  decentralized  mechanism  of  State  Forest  Development agency  (SFDA)  at  State  Level,  Forest  Development  agency  (FDA)  at  Forest  Division level and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at Village level.

The Ministry also provides Grants-in-aid to the  States/ Union Territories Governments for  protection  and  management  of  forests  under  Intensification  of  Forest  Management Scheme (IFMS).  The aim of the scheme is to supplement the efforts of the States and Union Territories towards protection and management of forests.  The Funds under the scheme are utilized for purchase of vehicles 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 and strengthening forest infrastructure etc.

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## Annexure

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1863 due for answer on 14.03.2017 regarding 'Decline in Forest Cover'

## Change in Forest Cover in States/UTs as per India State of Forest Report (ISFR)- 2015 (Area in square Kilometers)

| States/UTs          | Geographical Area   | Total Forest Cover 2015   | Total Forest Cover 2013   |   Change in Forest Cover |   Change Percent |
|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh      | 1,60,204            | 24,424                    | 24,357                    |                    67    |             0.27 |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 83,743              | 67,248                    | 67321                     |                   -73    |            -0.11 |
| Assam               | 78,438              | 27,623                    | 27671                     |                   -48    |            -0.17 |
| Bihar               | 94,163              | 7,288                     | 7291                      |                    -3    |            -0.04 |
| Chhattisgarh        | 1,35,191            | 55,586                    | 55621                     |                   -35    |            -0.06 |
| Delhi               | 1,483               | 189                       | 180                       |                     9    |             4.75 |
| Goa                 | 3,702               | 2,224                     | 2219                      |                     5    |             0.22 |
| Gujarat             | 1,96,022            | 14,660                    | 14653                     |                     7    |             0.05 |
| Haryana             | 44,212              | 1,584                     | 1586                      |                    -2    |            -0.13 |
| Himachal Pradesh    | 55,673              | 14,696                    | 14683                     |                    13    |             0.09 |
| Jammu& Kashmir      | 2,22,236            | 22,988                    | 22538                     |                   450    |             1.96 |
| Jharkhand           | 79,714              | 23,478                    | 23473                     |                     5    |             0.02 |
| Karnataka           | 1,91,791            | 36,421                    | 36132                     |                   289    |             0.79 |
| Kerala              | 38,863              | 19,239                    | 17922                     |                  1317    |             6.85 |
| Madhya Pradesh      | 3,08,245            | 77,462                    | 77522                     |                   -60    |            -0.08 |
| Maharashtra         | 3,07,713            | 50,628                    | 50632                     |                    -4    |            -0.01 |
| Manipur             | 22,327              | 16,994                    | 16990                     |                     4    |             0.02 |
| Meghalaya           | 22,429              | 17,217                    | 17288                     |                   -71    |            -0.41 |
| Mizoram             | 21,081              | 18,748                    | 19054                     |                  -306    |            -1.63 |
| Nagaland            | 16,579              | 12,966                    | 13044                     |                   -78    |            -0.6  |
| Odisha              | 1,55,707            | 50,354                    | 50347                     |                     7    |             0.01 |
| Punjab              | 50,362              | 1,771                     | 1772                      |                    -1    |            -0.06 |
| Rajasthan           | 3,42,239            | 16,171                    | 16086                     |                    85    |             0.53 |
| Sikkim              | 7,096               | 3,357                     | 3358                      |                    -1    |            -0.03 |
| Tamil Nadu          | 1,30,058            | 26,345                    | 23844                     |                  2501    |             9.49 |
| Telangana           | 114,865             | 21,591                    | 21759                     |                  -168    |            -0.78 |
| Tripura             | 10,486              | 7,811                     | 7866                      |                   -55    |            -0.7  |
| Uttar Pradesh       | 2,40,928            | 14,461                    | 14349                     |                   112    |             0.77 |
| Uttarakhand         | 53,483              | 24,240                    | 24508                     |                  -268    |            -1.11 |
| West Bengal         | 88,752              | 16,828                    | 16805                     |                    23    |             0.14 |
| A&N Islands         | 8,249               | 6,751                     | 6711                      |                    40    |             0.59 |
| Chandigarh          | 114                 | 22,.03                    | 17.26                     |                     4.77 |            21.65 |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 491                 | 206                       | 213                       |                    -7    |            -3.4  |
| Daman &Diu          | 112                 | 19.61                     | 9                         |                    10.61 |            52.73 |
| Lakshadweep         | 32                  | 27.06                     | 27.06                     |                     0    |             0    |
| Puducherry          | 480                 | 55.38                     | 50.06                     |                     5.32 |             9.61 |
| Grand Total         | 32,87,263           | 701,673                   | 697898                    |                  3775    |             0.54 |