Lok Sabha Question No. 3965 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Deforestation
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: T.N. Prathapan

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

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3965 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2021

## Deforestation

## 3965. SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the trend of deforestation in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of deforestation in hectares noticed since 2014, State/UT-wise; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to promote afforestation in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- The  assessment  of  forest  cover  and  tree  cover  of  the  country  is  carried  out biennially by Forest Survey of India and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). ISFR-2019 is the latest report in the series. As per ISFR 2019, total Forest and Tree cover of the country is 8,07,276 square kilometers

State/UT-wise  details  of  Forest  and  Tree  cover  as  per  ISFR-2015,  ISFR-2017 and ISFR-2019 are provided in Annexure which show that overall at the national level Forest and Tree Cover has increased by 13,209 square kilometers between

- (a) & (b) which is 24.56% of the geographical area of the country. ISFR- 2015 and ISFR-2019.
- (c) Various schemes are being implemented by Central and State Government for increase  in  forest  cover  of  the  country.  These  include  National  Afforestation Programme, Green India Mission, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats and Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme being implemented by the Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change.  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,  Sub-Mission  on  Agro-Forestry,  National  Bamboo  Mission Compensatory  Afforestation  Funds  under  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund Management  and  Planning  Authority  (CAMPA).  Afforestation  activities  are also taken up under various schemes of State Government /UT Administration.

The  multi-departmental  efforts  have  yielded  good  results  in  conserving  and developing forest and tree cover as evident from the fact that the Forest and Tree cover  as  reported  in  the  latest  India  State  of  Forest  Report  (ISFR)  2019  has increased by 13,209 sq km as compared to that of ISFR 2015 assessment.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  &  (B)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 3965 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 19.03.2021 REGARDING 'DEFORESTATION' ASKED BY SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN

| States/UTs          | Forest Cover and Tree Cover (in square   | Forest Cover and Tree Cover (in square   | Forest Cover and Tree Cover (in square   |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| States/UTs          | ISFR 2015                                | ISFR 2017                                | ISFR 2019                                |
| Andhra Pradesh      | 29,971                                   | 31,900                                   | 33,051                                   |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 67,915                                   | 67,771                                   | 67,536                                   |
| Assam               | 29,151                                   | 29,601                                   | 29,735                                   |
| Bihar               | 9,436                                    | 9,562                                    | 9,309                                    |
| Chhattisgarh        | 59,188                                   | 59,380                                   | 59,859                                   |
| Delhi               | 299.77                                   | 305.41                                   | 324                                      |
| Goa                 | 2,535                                    | 2552                                     | 2,509                                    |
| Gujarat             | 22,624                                   | 22,781                                   | 21,769                                   |
| Haryana             | 2,935                                    | 3,003                                    | 3,167                                    |
| Himachal Pradesh    | 15,464                                   | 15,922                                   | 16,263                                   |
| Jammu &Kashmir      | 31,342                                   | 31,056                                   | 31,556                                   |
| Jharkhand           | 26,307                                   | 26,475                                   | 26,268                                   |
| Karnataka           | 42,001                                   | 43,263                                   | 44,832                                   |
| Kerala              | 22,229                                   | 23,280                                   | 24,080                                   |
| Madhya Pradesh      | 85,199                                   | 85,487                                   | 85,821                                   |
| Maharashtra         | 60,257                                   | 60,513                                   | 61,584                                   |
| Manipur             | 17,326                                   | 17,566                                   | 17,020                                   |
| Meghalaya           | 17,972                                   | 17,803                                   | 17,829                                   |
| Mizoram             | 19,252                                   | 18,653                                   | 18,447                                   |
| Nagaland            | 13,320                                   | 12,868                                   | 12,848                                   |
| Odisha              | 54,446                                   | 55,338                                   | 56,267                                   |
| Punjab              | 3,315                                    | 3,459                                    | 3,441                                    |
| Rajasthan           | 24,375                                   | 24,838                                   | 24,742                                   |
| Sikkim              | 3,388                                    | 3,379                                    | 3,378                                    |
| Tamil Nadu          | 30,713                                   | 30,952                                   | 31,194                                   |
| Telangana           | 22,403                                   | 23,088                                   | 23,096                                   |
| Tripura             | 8,123                                    | 7,941                                    | 7,957                                    |
| Uttar Pradesh       | 21,445                                   | 22,121                                   | 22,148                                   |
| Uttarakhand         | 25,024                                   | 25,062                                   | 25,144                                   |
| West Bengal         | 18914                                    | 18,983                                   | 18,908                                   |
| A&N Islands         | 6,788                                    | 6,777                                    | 6,784                                    |
| Chandigarh          | 30.66                                    | 31.56                                    | 47                                       |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 234                                      | 237                                      | 235                                      |
| Daman &Diu          | 29.61                                    | 30.49                                    | 25                                       |
| Lakshadweep         | 31.06                                    | 29.1                                     | 27                                       |
| Puducherry          | 83.95                                    | 80.67                                    | 75                                       |
| Grand Total         | 794067                                   | 802088                                   | 8,07,276                                 |