Lok Sabha Question No. 4575 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Forest Cover in NER
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pradyut Bordoloi

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  4575 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2020

## Forest Cover in NER

## 4575. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

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

- (a) whether the forest cover in the North Eastern Region (NER) States is declining;
- (b) if so, the details thereof during the last five years, State-wise;
- (c) whether illegal coal mining and destruction of forest area is responsible for loss of forest cover in the North Eastern Region and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Ministry has taken up the matter with the respective State Governments and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

- (a) to (c)   Forest  Survey  of  India,  Dehradun, an  organization  under  the  Ministry  carries  out the  assessment  of  forest  cover  of  the  country  biennially  and  findings  are  published  in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The forest cover of the entire north eastern region as per ISFR- 2015, ISFR-2017 and ISFR-2019 is 1,68,583 square kilometer (km 2 ), 1,67,962 km 2 and 1,67,199 km 2 respectively.

There is an overall increase in the forest cover in the country, however, some decline in forest cover in North East States has been observed in the ISFR-2019 as compared to ISFR-2017 &  ISFR-2015 due to various reasons such as shifting cultivation, developmental  activities  such  as  mining,  construction  of  dams,  road  and  railway network, etc. Details of forest cover in North Eastern States are given in Annexure.

- (d) The Ministry has taken up the matter with the State Forest Departments of North Eastern States  regarding  decrease  in  forest  cover  and  requested  the  State  to  review  and  take appropriate remedial measures.

To increase the forest cover in the country including North Eastern region, the Ministry is taking  several  initiatives.  These  include  ongoing  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of  the

Ministry such as National Afforestation Programme, National Mission for a Green India and  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats.  The  recently  promulgated  Compensatory Afforestation  Fund  Rules,  2018  also  contain  provisions  for  taking  up  assisted  natural regeneration, artificial regeneration and silvicultural operations in forests which contribute  to  increase  in  forest  cover.  The  Ministry  also  supports  school  nursery  and urban forestry programmes through people's participation.

Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up  under  various  programmes/funding  sources such  as  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme,  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and under the schemes/plans of State/UT Governments.

.

**********

## Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4575

## due for answer on 20.03.2020 regarding 'Forest Cover in NER'.

Forest cover in the North Eastern states during last five years.

(area in km 2 )

| Sl. No.                              | State/UT                             |   ISFR 2015 | ISFR 2017   | ISFR 2019   |   Chang e in forest cover during ISFR- 2015 and 2017 |   Chang e in forest cover during ISFR- 2017 and 2019 |
|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 1                                    | Arunachal Pradesh                    |       67154 | 66,964      | 66,688      |                                                 -190 |                                                 -276 |
| 2                                    | Assam                                |       27538 | 28,105      | 28,327      |                                                  567 |                                                  222 |
| 3                                    | Manipur                              |       17083 | 17,346      | 16,847      |                                                  263 |                                                 -499 |
| 4                                    | Meghalaya                            |       17262 | 17,146      | 17,119      |                                                 -116 |                                                  -27 |
| 5                                    | Mizoram                              |       18717 | 18,186      | 18,006      |                                                 -531 |                                                 -180 |
| 6                                    | Nagaland                             |       12939 | 12,489      | 12,486      |                                                 -450 |                                                   -3 |
| 7                                    | Tripura                              |        7890 | 7,726       | 7,726       |                                                 -164 |                                                    0 |
| Total Forest in North eastern Region | Total Forest in North eastern Region |      168583 | 167962      | 167199      |                                                 -621 |                                                 -763 |