Lok Sabha Question No. 2890 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-03
Subject: Forest Density
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: VIKRAM USENDI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2890

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2018

## Forest Density

## 2890.  SHRI VIKRAM USENDI:

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

- (a) whether the forest density in the country has declined a lot due to illegal forest cutting;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the  Government is taking  any  steps  to  stop  illegal  forest  cutting  so  that  some concrete action could be taken against the forest/wood mafia and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the scheme formulated by the Government to increase forest cover in the country; and
- (e) the amount of funds allocated for the aforesaid scheme to States including Chhattisgarh, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) & (b)  No, Madam. The total forest cover of the country as per India State of Forest Report (ISFR),  2017  of  Forest  Survey  of  India  is  7,08,273sq.km  which  shown  an  overall increase  of  6,778  sq.km  as  compared  to  the  assessment  as  per  the  ISFR,2015.The details of State/UT wise change in forest cover between 2015 and 2017 assessment of Forest Survey of India, Dehradun including the details of change in various density classes such as Very Dense Forest (lands with forest cover having a canopy density of  70  percent  and  above),  Moderately  Dense  Forest  (all  lands  with  forest  cover having a canopy density between 40 to 70 percent) and Open Forest (land with forest cover having a canopy density between 10 to 40 percent) is given in Annexure-I.
- (c) The State/UT Governments take various actions for protection of forests from illegal felling  of  trees  such  as  frequent  patrolling  in  forest  areas,  strengthening  forest infrastructure,  erecting  check  posts  at  vulnerable  areas,  involving  people  living  in forest  fringe  areas  in  the  protection  efforts,  taking  legal  action  in  cases  of  illegal felling  as  per  the  provisions  of  Indian  Forest  Act-1927,  Wildlife  (Protection) Act,1972,  Acts  of  respective  State/UT  Governments  and  the  rules  &  regulations made thereunder.
- (d) To increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation activities are 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 Compensatory  Management  Fund  managed  by  Adhoc  Compensatory  Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
- (e) The  detail  of  fund  released  under  National  Afforestation  Programme  (NAP)  from 2010-11 to 2017-18 to various States/UTs including the State of Chhattisgarh is given in Annexure-II.

Under the Green India Mission, an amount of Rs. 157.64 crores have been released to various States from 2015-16 to 2017-18. The available details on release of funds to various  States  including  the  State  of  Chhattisgarh  under  Green  India  Mission programme is given in Annexure-III

.

Further, the details of fund released during last three years (2015-16 to 2017-18) for Compensatory Afforestation and other forestry related activities from  Compensatory Afforestation Fund of the States managed by Adhoc CAMPA to various States/UTs including the State of Chhattisgarh is given in Annexure-IV.

*******ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE REFFERED TO PART (a) & (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2890 DUE FOR REPLY ON 03.08.2018 REGARDING FOREST DENSITY ASKED BY SHRI VIKRAM USENDI

## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO REPLY IN PART (e) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2890 DUE FOR REPLYON 03.08.2018 REGARDING FOREST DENSITY ASKED BY SHRI VIKRAM USENDI

(Rs. in crore)

| S. No.   | State                | 2010-11   | 2011- 12   | 2012- 13   | 2013- 14   | 2014- 15   | 2015- 16   | 2016- 17   | 2017- 18   |         |
|----------|----------------------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|---------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh       | 10.48     | 15.15      | 2.71       | 3.75       | 4.56       | 0.87       | 1.33       | 3.36       | L 42.20 |
| 2        | Bihar                | 5.48      | 6.92       | 3.40       | 12.84      | 7.00       | 5.01       | 2.18       | 4.23       | 47.06   |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh         | 33.25     | 24.74      | 13.33      | 21.38      | 20.00      | 10.20      | 4.92       | 10.86      | 138.68  |
| 4        | Goa                  | 0         | 0.00       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 0.00       |            | 0.00    |
| 5        | Gujarat              | 29.43     | 27.00      | 14.30      | 11.68      | 10.50      | 8.54       | 4.36       |            | 105.81  |
| 6        | Haryana              | 24.20     | 12.28      | 6.41       | 17.94      | 11.00      | 0.72       | 3.50       | 2.71       | 78.76   |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh     | 3.45      | 3.50       | 3.62       | 2.61       | 0.73       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 1.73       | 15.63   |
| 8        | Jammu &Kashmir       | 3.99      | 6.89       | 3.37       | 8.11       | 3.59       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 7.20       | 33.15   |
| 9        | Jharkhand            | 8.73      | 10.42      | 4.69       | 9.02       | 8.60       | 0.00       | 0.00       |            | 41.46   |
| 10       | Karnataka            | 8.12      | 12.92      | 6.81       | 9.26       | 21.35      | 1.05       | 7.33       | 3.24       | 70.06   |
| 11       | Kerala               | 7.54      | 2.04       | 11.30      | 6.99       | 2.82       | 1.02       | 0.00       |            | 31.70   |
| 12       | Madhya Pradesh       | 30.39     | 21.43      | 9.15       | 22.10      | 21.00      | 9.45       | 4.00       | 8.74       | 126.25  |
| 13       | Maharashtra          | 16.17     | 28.51      | 28.87      | 32.33      | 35.00      | 14.90      | 4.76       | 6.73       | 167.28  |
| 14       | Orissa               | 11.20     | 7.30       | 3.38       | 5.36       | 17.92      | 9.49       | 4.62       | 3.49       | 62.76   |
| 15       | Punjab               | 0         | 0.46       | 0.76       | 2.00       | 1.87       | 0.00       | 0.00       |            | 5.09    |
| 16       | Rajasthan            | 4.94      | 6.23       | 4.14       | 2.81       | 3.35       | 0.75       | 0.00       | 1.40       | 23.62   |
| 17       | Tamil Nadu           | 7.21      | 3.08       | 2.78       | 3.21       | 4.25       | 1.42       | 1.56       |            | 23.51   |
| 18       | Telangana            | 0.00      | 0.00       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 2.03       | 0.00       | 0.00       |            | 2.03    |
| 19       | Uttar Pradesh        | 21.33     | 26.23      | 15.27      | 20.15      | 12.00      | 2.68       | 2.55       | 0.67       | 100.87  |
| 20       | Uttarakhand          | 4.47      | 6.61       | 6.25       | 6.01       | 2.50       | 3.05       | 0.00       | 3.36       | 32.26   |
| 21       | West Bengal          | 4.12      | 6.29       | 2.57       | 2.96       | 0.78       | 0.00       | 0.00       |            | 16.72   |
|          | Total (Other States) | 234.50    | 228.0 0    | 143.1 1    | 200.49     | 190.8 5    | 69.16      | 41.10      | 57.71      | 1164.92 |
|          | North Eastern states |           |            |            |            |            |            |            |            |         |
| 22       | Arunachal Pradesh    | 5.52      | 0.00       | 1.66       | 0.00       | 0.15       | 0.00       | 0.00       | 0.86       | 8.19    |
| 23       | Assam                | 6.08      | 7.95       | 1.47       | 2.99       | 0.00       | 2.56       | 0.00       |            | 21.05   |
| 24       | Manipur              | 10.37     | 12.74      | 9.46       | 12.12      | 8.00       | 3.67       | 1.21       | 3.20       | 60.76   |
| 25       | Meghalaya            | 8.79      | 4.31       | 9.10       | 4.50       | 3.61       | 1.35       | 0.00       | 1.65       | 33.30   |
| 26       | Mizoram              | 12.21     | 13.44      | 8.78       | 11.94      | 15.00      | 10.17      | 6.74       | 5.80       | 84.08   |
| 27       | Nagaland             | 10.11     | 11.69      | 10.88      | 9.82       | 11.00      | 0.00       | 5.21       | 5.85       | 64.55   |
| 28       | Sikkim               | 11.99     | 11.18      | 5.42       | 3.77       | 6.00       | 1.52       | 5.09       |            | 44.97   |
| 29       | Tripura              | 10.43     | 13.69      | 3.50       | 11.99      | 9.17       | 5.73       | 0.00       | 4.94       | 59.45   |
|          | Total (NE States)    | 75.49     | 75.00      | 50.26      | 57.13      | 52.93      | 25.00      | 18.25      | 22.29      | 376.34  |
|          | G. Total             | 309.99    | 303.0      | 193.3      | 257.62     | 243.7      | 94.16      | 59.35      | 80.00      | 1541.26 |

ANNEXURE-III ANNEXURE REFERRED  TO  REPLY  IN  PART  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  2890  DUE  FOR  REPLYON  03.08.2018  REGARDING  FOREST  DENSITY ASKED BY SHRI VIKRAM USENDI

(Rs. In lakhs)

| S.No.   | States         | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18   |
|---------|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1.      | Andhra Pradesh | -         | 105.53    | 44.60     |
| 2.      | Chhattisgarh   | 2338.55   | 2023.017  | 1095.272  |
| 3.      | Karnataka      | 105.53    | 86.853    | 85.734    |
| 4.      | Kerala         | 914.82    | -         | -         |
| 5.      | Manipur        | 834.84    | 782.285   | 641.579   |
| 6.      | Mizoram        | -         | 988.35    | 2000.00   |
| 7.      | Odisha         | 182.92    | 138.964   | 140.556   |
| 8.      | Punjab         | 611.53    | -         | 621.730   |
| 9.      | Uttarakhand    | 2020.90   | -         | -         |
| Total   | Total          | 7009.009  | 4125.00   | 4629.471  |

*****

## ANNEXURE-IV

## ANNEXURE REFERRED  TO  REPLY  IN  PART  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  2890  DUE  FOR  REPLYON  03.08.2018  REGARDING  FOREST  DENSITY ASKED BY SHRI VIKRAM USENDI

| Sl.   | State/UT                 | 2015-16          | 2016-17          | 2017-18          |
|-------|--------------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| No.   |                          | Amount in Crores | Amount in Crores | Amount in Crores |
| 1     | Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 1.00             |                  |                  |
| 2     | Andhra Pradesh           | 85.00            | 89.00            | 97.00            |
| 3     | Arunachal Pradesh        | 62.00            | 150.00           |                  |
| 4     | Assam                    |                  | 30.00            | 70.00            |
| 5     | Bihar                    | 34.14            | 33.00            | 39.31            |
| 6     | Chandigarh               | 2.11             | 1.00             | 1.13             |
| 7     | Chhattisgarh             | 239.00           | 280.00           |                  |
| 8     | Dadra &Nagar Haveli      |                  |                  |                  |
| 9     | Daman &Diu               |                  |                  |                  |
| 10    | Delhi                    | 3.91             | 4.00             |                  |
| 11    | Goa                      |                  |                  |                  |
| 12    | Gujarat                  | 33.00            | 45.00            | 27.00            |
| 13    | Haryana                  | 64.00            | 18.00            | 80.00            |
| 14    | Himachal Pradesh         | 76.98            | 109.62           | 69.00            |
| 15    | Jammu &Kashmir           | 31.00            | 102.00           | 69.00            |
| 16    | Jharkhand                | 141.00           | 149.00           | 234.00           |
| 17    | Karnataka                | 60.00            | 85.12            | 86.00            |
| 18    | Kerala                   |                  |                  | 8.00             |
| 19    | Lakshadweep              |                  |                  |                  |
| 20    | Madhya Pradesh           | 213.00           | 140.00           | 200.00           |
| 21    | Maharashtra              | 155.00           | 205.00           | 199.00           |
| 22    | Manipur                  | 25.00            | 15.00            | 29.50            |
| 23    | Meghalaya                | 16.56            |                  | 7.00             |
| 24    | Mizoram                  | 6.73             | 6.75             | 6.10             |
| 25    | Nagaland                 |                  |                  |                  |
| 26    | Odisha                   | 322.00           | 426.00           | 462.00           |
| 27    | Pudducherry              |                  |                  |                  |
| 28    | Punjab                   | 49.00            | 49.00            | 43.00            |
| 29    | Rajasthan                | 48.00            | 140.00           | 179.00           |
| 30    | Sikkim                   | 11.00            | 9.00             |                  |
| 31    | Tamil Nadu               | 2.20             | 9.00             | 12.68            |
| 32    | Telangana                | 76.00            | 117.00           | 127.00           |
| 33    | Tripura                  | 11.00            | 12.00            | 7.10             |
| 34    | Uttar Pradesh            | 177.00           | 118.00           | 123.00           |
| 35    | Uttarakhand              | 164.00           | 170.71           | 96.00            |
| 36    | West Bengal              |                  | 21.00            |                  |
|       | Grand Total              | 2,109.63         | 2,534.20         | 2,271.82         |