Lok Sabha Question No. 1226 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-28
Subject: Assessment of Number of Trees
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jagdambika Pal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1226

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.06.2019

## Assessment of Number of Trees

## 1226 . SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government has conducted any study to  assess the number of trees  cut every year;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of trees cut during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government intends to develop a policy to maintain ecological balance of trees by maintaining statistics of fallen trees and new trees planted in census list; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Trees are felled in the States as per the working plans approved by the Ministry and the records are maintained by the State Forest Department. Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, an organization under this Ministry, carries out the assessment of forest cover  of  the  country  biennially  and  the  findings  are  published  in  India  State  of Forest Report. As per India State of Forest Report 2017, there is an increase of 8,021 sq  km  in  the  total  forest  and  tree  cover  of  the  country,  compared  to  the  previous assessment  in  2015.  The  total  forest  and  tree  cover  is  24.39  per  cent  of  the geographical area of the country.

In order to increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation programmes have been  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).  Local  people  are  involved  in afforestation activities by the State Forest Departments.

For  felling  of  trees  for  development  works  under  Forest  Conservation  Act  1980, Compensatory Afforestation is done on equal non-forest land and 1000 plants per hectare  are  planted  by  the  State  Governments.  During  2006-2018.  Compensatory afforestation has been carried out over 352806 hectare.

- (c) & (d) The objectives of the National Forest Policy is to increase forest and tree cover to 33% of geographical area of the country for the purpose of providing ecological security  by  improving  the  quality  and  biodiversity  of  forests  in  India.  The working plan of forests is prepared by State Governments by taking into account the  trees  felled  and  plantation  of  saplings  to  meet  with  the  objective  of  the National Forest Policy.

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