Lok Sabha Question No. 1628 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-27
Subject: Forest Cover
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: JAYSHREEBEN  PATEL

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1628

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2018

## Forest Cover

## 1628.    SHRIMATI JAYSHREEBEN PATEL:

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

- (a) the    minimum  forest  cover  requirement  of  geographical  areas  as  per  global  standards along with the percentage of forest cover in the country;
- (b) the  details  of  change  that  took  place  in  forest  area  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the role of forests in ecological balance;
- (d) whether the Government has formulated any policy to compensate the number of trees cut down during the last three years and the current year; and'
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) There is no global standard for minimum forest cover as percentage of the geographical area for the countries. Each country has its own policy towards minimum forest cover. Globally, forest cover extends to 30.6% of the geographical area (Global Forest Resource Assessment (GFRA) - 2015, FAO). As per the National Forest Policy, 1988, the national goal is to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area of the country under forest or tree cover. In the hills and in mountainous regions, the aim is to maintain two-third of the area under forest cover in order to prevent erosion and land degradation and to ensure the stability of the fragile eco-system.

As per the latest 'India State of Forest Report (ISFR)- 2017' published by Forest Survey of India, the total forest and tree cover of the country is 8,02,088 square kilometer which is 24.39% of the geographical area of the country. It shows an increase of 6778 square kilometer forest cover reported in the India State of Forest Report 2015.

- (b) As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR)- 2017, the State wise Forest cover and change in forest cover w.r.t India State of forest Report(ISFR)- 2015 is given at Annexure-I.
- (c) Forests are important for soil and moisture conservation and micro climate of any region, and are vital for the ecological balance in an area.
- (d) & (e) Whenever  forest  land  is diverted  for  non-forestry  purpose with  prior  approval   under Section 2 of Forest (Conversation) Act, 1980, compensatory afforestation over an equal non-forest land or double the degraded forest land is carried out from the funds deposited in  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  (CAF)  managed  by  Compensatory  Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) by the user agencies of such forest land. The  details  of  fund  released  to  the  various  States/UTs  during  the  last  three  years  for restoration  of  forest  loss  and  allied  activities  from  CAF  against  the  Annual  Plan Operations  (APOs)  approved  by  Steering  Committee  of  State  CAMPA  are  given  in Annexure-II.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1628 due for answer on 27.07.2018 regarding 'Forest Cover'

## Change in forest cover in States/UTs in India

(Area in square kilometers)

| State               | Geographic Area   | Total Forest cover as per ISFR-2017   |   Percent of Geographic area |   Change in forest cover wrt. ISFR 2015 updated |
|---------------------|-------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh      | 162968            | 28,147                                |                        17.27 |                                         2141    |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 83743             | 66,964                                |                        79.96 |                                         -190    |
| Assam               | 78438             | 28,105                                |                        35.83 |                                          567    |
| Bihar               | 94163             | 7,299                                 |                         7.75 |                                           45    |
| Chhattisgarh        | 135192            | 55,547                                |                        41.09 |                                          -12    |
| Delhi               | 1483              | 192.41                                |                        12.97 |                                            3.64 |
| Goa                 | 3702              | 2,229                                 |                        60.21 |                                           19    |
| Gujarat             | 196244            | 14,757                                |                         7.52 |                                           47    |
| Haryana             | 44212             | 1,588                                 |                         3.59 |                                            8    |
| Himachal Pradesh    | 55673             | 15,100                                |                        27.12 |                                          393    |
| Jammu& Kashmir *    | 222236            | 23,241                                |                        10.46 |                                          253    |
| Jharkhand           | 79716             | 23,553                                |                        29.55 |                                           29    |
| Karnataka           | 191791            | 37,550                                |                        19.58 |                                         1101    |
| Kerala              | 38852             | 20,321                                |                        52.3  |                                         1043    |
| Madhya Pradesh      | 308252            | 77,414                                |                        25.11 |                                          -12    |
| Maharashtra         | 307713            | 50,682                                |                        16.47 |                                          -17    |
| Manipur             | 22327             | 17,346                                |                        77.69 |                                          263    |
| Meghalaya           | 22429             | 17,146                                |                        76.45 |                                         -116    |
| Mizoram             | 21081             | 18,186                                |                        86.27 |                                         -531    |
| Nagaland            | 16579             | 12,489                                |                        75.33 |                                         -450    |
| Odisha              | 155707            | 51,345                                |                        32.98 |                                          885    |
| Punjab              | 50362             | 1837                                  |                         3.65 |                                           66    |
| Rajasthan           | 342239            | 16,572                                |                         4.84 |                                          466    |
| Sikkim              | 7096              | 3,344                                 |                        47.13 |                                           -9    |
| Tamil Nadu          | 130060            | 26,281                                |                        20.21 |                                           73    |
| Telangana           | 112077            | 20,419                                |                        18.22 |                                          565    |
| Tripura             | 10486             | 7,726                                 |                        73.68 |                                         -164    |
| Uttar Pradesh       | 240928            | 14,679                                |                         6.09 |                                          278    |
| Uttarakhand         | 53483             | 24,295                                |                        45.43 |                                           23    |
| West Bengal         | 88752             | 16,847                                |                        18.98 |                                           21    |
| A&N Islands         | 8249              | 6,742                                 |                        81.73 |                                           -9    |
| Chandigarh          | 114               | 21.56                                 |                        18.91 |                                           -0.1  |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 491               | 207                                   |                        42.16 |                                            1    |
| Daman &Diu          | 111               | 20.49                                 |                        18.46 |                                            0.88 |
| Lakshadweep         | 30                | 27.10                                 |                        90.33 |                                            0.04 |
| Puducherry          | 490               | 53.67                                 |                        10.95 |                                           -3.28 |
| Grand Total         | 32,87,469         | 708273                                |                        21.54 |                                         6778    |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (e) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1628 due for answer on 27.07.2018 regarding 'Forest Cover'

## The details of funds released to the States/UTs for the last three years under Compensatory Afforestation funds

(Amount in Rupees)

| State/UT                 | 2015-16        | 2016-17       | 2017-18        | Total Release   |
|--------------------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|-----------------|
| Andhra Pradesh           | 850,000,000    | 890,000,000   | 970,000,000    | 2,710,000,000   |
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 10,000,000     | -             | -              | 10,000,000      |
| Arunachal Pradesh        | 620,000,000    | 1,500,000,000 | -              | 2,120,000,000   |
| Assam                    | -              | 300,000,000   | 700,000,000    | 1,000,000,000   |
| Bihar                    | 341,400,000    | 330,000,000   | 393,100,000    | 1,064,500,000   |
| Chandigarh               | 21,179,000     | 10,000,000    | 11,300,000     | 42,479,000      |
| Chhattisgarh             | 2,390,000,000  | 2,800,000,000 | -              | 5,190,000,000   |
| Delhi                    | 39,100,000     | 40,000,000    | -              | 79,100,000      |
| Gujarat                  | 330,000,000    | 990,000,000   | 270,000,000    | 1,590,000,000   |
| Haryana                  | 640,000,000    | 180,000,000   | 800,000,000    | 1,620,000,000   |
| Himachal Pradesh         | 769,800,000    | 1,320,000,000 | 1,200,000,000  | 3,289,800,000   |
| Jammu &Kashmir           | 310,000,000    | 1,020,000,000 | 690,000,000    | 2,020,000,000   |
| Jharkhand                | 1,410,000,000  | 1,490,000,000 | 2,340,000,000  | 5,240,000,000   |
| Karnataka                | 600,000,000    | 875,200,000   | 860,000,000    | 2,335,200,000   |
| Kerala                   | -              | -             | 80,000,000     | 80,000,000      |
| Madhya Pradesh           | 2,130,000,000  | 1,400,000,000 | 2,000,000,000  | 5,530,000,000   |
| Maharashtra              | 1,550,000,000  | 2,050,000,000 | 1,990,000,000  | 5,590,000,000   |
| Manipur                  | 250,000,000    | 150,000,000   | 295,000,000    | 695,000,000     |
| Meghalaya                | 165,600,000    | -             | 70,000,000     | 235,600,000     |
| Mizoram                  | 100,000,000    | 77,300,000    | 68,500,000     | 245,800,000     |
| Odisha                   | 3,220,000,000  | 4,260,000,000 | 14,940,400,000 | 22,420,400,000  |
| Punjab                   | 490,000,000    | 660,000,000   | 640,000,000    | 1,790,000,000   |
| Rajasthan                | 480,000,000    | 1,410,600,000 | 1,790,000,000  | 3,680,600,000   |
| Sikkim                   | 110,000,000    | 90,000,000    | -              | 200,000,000     |
| Tamil Nadu               | 22,000,000     | 90,000,000    | 126,800,000    | 238,800,000     |
| Telangana                | 760,000,000    | 1,182,180,000 | 1,270,000,000  | 3,212,180,000   |
| Tripura                  | 110,000,000    | 120,000,000   | 7,100,000      | 237,100,000     |
| Uttar Pradesh            | 1,770,000,000  | 1,320,000,000 | 1,230,000,000  | 4,320,000,000   |
| Uttarakhand              | 1,640,000,000  | 1,707,100,000 | 960,000,000    | 4,307,100,000   |
| West Bengal              | -              | 210,000,000   | -              | 210,000,000     |
| Total                    | 21,129,079,000 | 6,472,380,000 | 33,702,200,000 | 81,303,659,000  |