Lok Sabha Question No. 2012 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Decrease in Forest Cover
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Vijay Kumar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  2012

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2021

## Decrease in Forest Cover

## 2012.   SHRI VIJAY KUMAR:

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

- (a) whether the forest cover in the country is in a State of continuous decline;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is formulating any scheme to include private sector in the task of increasing  forest  area  including  preservation  and  conservation  offorests  by  promoting afforestation in private lands and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to provide tax rebate and compensation to the people who offer their lands for afforestation under the said scheme;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Government to increase forest cover in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) No Sir, there is no decline in the forest cover in the country. As per latest India State of Forest Report -2019 prepared by Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, the total forest and tree cover  of  the  country  is  8,  07,276  square  kilometre  (km 2 ),  which  is  24.56%  of  the  total geographical area of the country. It comprises of 7, 12,249 km 2 of Forest Cover, and 95,027 km 2 of Tree Cover. The ISFR 2019 shows an increase of 5,188km 2 (forest cover 3,976 km 2 and tree cover 1,212 km 2 ) over that of ISFR 2017.
- (c)  The  National  Forest  Policy,  1988  encourages  planting  of  the  trees  in  the  unutilized  lands under State/Corporate, Institutional orPrivate ownership. For this the National Forest Policy, 1988  provides  that technical assistance and  other inputs areto be provided  by  the Government.The policy provides that land laws should be so modified wherever necessary so  as  to  facilitate  and  motivate  individuals  and  institutions  to  undertake  tree-farming  and grow fodder plants, grasses and legumes on their own land. Further, degraded lands should be made available for this purpose subject to the land grant rules and land ceiling laws.

The Ministry of Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare is  implementing  National  Agroforestry Policy 2014 with the objectives to encourage and expand tree plantation in complementarity and  integrated  manner  with  crops  and  livestock  to  improve  productivity,  employment, income and livelihoods of rural households, especially the small holder farmers.

(d) & (e)  There is no such proposal.

- (f)  Various schemes are being implemented by Central and State Government for increase in forest  cover  of  the  country.  These  include  National  Afforestation  Programme  (NAP)  and Green India Mission (GIM) 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,  PradhanMantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana,  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 Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is also implementing National Agroforestry  Policy  2014  with  an  objective  to  meet  the  demand  of  timber,  food,  fuel, fodder, fertilizer, fibre and other agroforestry products, conserving the natural resources and forest; protecting the environment & providing environmental security; and increasing the forest/tree  cover.    Also,  Mission  for  Integrated  Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is a Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  the  holistic  growth  of  the  horticulture  sector  covering fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.

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