Lok Sabha Question No. 3637 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Conservation and Development of Forests
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Harish Dwivedi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3637

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2021

## Conservation and Development of Forests

## 3637.  SHRI HARISH DWIVEDI:

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

- (a) whether  the  forest  cover  is  depleting  over  several  parts/  districts  in  the  country including Uttar Pradesh;
- (b) whether  proposals  regarding  conservation  and  development  of  forests  have  been received from Uttar Pradesh; and
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken  in  this  regard  by  the  Government?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) Forest  Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out  the  assessment  of  forest  cover  of  the  country  biennially  since  1987  and  the findings  are  published  in  India  State  of  Forest  Report  (ISFR).  The  forest  cover assessment is a wall-to-wall mapping exercise based on remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification and field data from National Forest Inventory. As per latest  ISFR  2019,  the  total  forest  and  tree  cover  of  the  country  is  8,07,276  square kilometres  which  is  24.56  %  of  the  geographical  area  of  the  country.  There  is  an increase of 3976 square kilometre of forest cover at the national level in the ISFR2019 as compared to the ISFR- 2017. The details of States and Union Territory wise change in the forest cover as compared to ISFR 2017 is given at Annexure-I.

As  per  the  ISFR  2019,  Uttar  Pradesh  has  an  overall  increase  of  126.65  square kilometre in the forest cover as compared to ISFR 2017. The details of district wise forest cover in the State of Uttar Pradesh is given at Annexure-II .

- (b) & (c)   The  Ministry  has  not  received  specific  proposals  regarding  conservation  and development  of  forest  from  Uttar  Pradesh  during  the  year  2020-21  and  2021-22. However, the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority  (National  Authority)  received  Annual  Plans  of  Operation  (APOs)  from Uttar Pradesh Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The APOs mainly consist of activities related to compensatory afforestation,  penal  compensatory  afforestation,  catchment  area  treatment  plan, artificial regeneration, assisted natural regeneration, forest and wildlife management, protection  and  conservation,  forest  and  wildlife  related  infrastructure  development etc.

The details of APOs received from the Uttar Pradesh CAMPA for 2019-20, 202021 and 2021-22 and their approvals are given below:-

| Rs. in Crores   | Rs. in Crores   | Rs. in Crores   |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Year            | Outlay of APO   | Approved Amount |
| 2019-20         | 285.68          | 285.68          |
| 2020-21         | 617.00          | 442.01          |
| 2021-22         | 600.00          | 594.53          |

******

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3637 due for answer on 20.12.2021 regarding 'Conservation and Development of Forest'.

## State wise details of forest cover from ISFR 2017 to ISFR 2019

| S. No   |                     |                    | Total Forest Cover   | Total Forest Cover   | Change in Forest cover w.r.t.   |
|---------|---------------------|--------------------|----------------------|----------------------|---------------------------------|
|         | States/UTs          | Geo-graphical area | ISFR 2017            | ISFR 2019            | 2017                            |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh      | 1,62,968           | 28,147               | 29,137               | 990                             |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh   | 83,743             | 66,964               | 66,688               | -276                            |
| 3       | Assam               | 78,438             | 28,105               | 28,327               | 222                             |
| 4       | Bihar               | 94,163             | 7,299                | 7,306                | 7                               |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh        | 1,35,192           | 55,547               | 55,611               | 64                              |
| 6       | Delhi               | 1,483              | 192.41               | 195.44               | 3                               |
| 7       | Goa                 | 3,702              | 2,229                | 2,237                | 8                               |
| 8       | Gujarat             | 1,96,244           | 14,757               | 14,857               | 100                             |
| 9       | Haryana             | 44,212             | 1,588                | 1,602                | 14                              |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh    | 55,673             | 15,100               | 15,434               | 334                             |
| 11      | Jammu &Kashmir*     | 2,22,236           | 23,241               | 23,612               | 371                             |
| 12      | Jharkhand           | 79,716             | 23,553               | 23,611               | 58                              |
| 13      | Karnataka           | 1,91,791           | 37,550               | 38,575               | 1,025                           |
| 14      | Kerala              | 38,852             | 20,321               | 21,144               | 823                             |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh      | 3,08,252           | 77,414               | 77,482               | 68                              |
| 16      | Maharashtra         | 3,07,713           | 50,682               | 50,778               | 96                              |
| 17      | Manipur             | 22,327             | 17,346               | 16,847               | -499                            |
| 18      | Meghalaya           | 22,429             | 17,146               | 17,119               | -27                             |
| 19      | Mizoram             | 21,081             | 18,186               | 18,006               | -180                            |
| 20      | Nagaland            | 16,579             | 12,489               | 12,486               | -3                              |
| 21      | Odisha              | 1,55,707           | 51,345               | 51,619               | 274                             |
| 22      | Punjab              | 50,362             | 1837                 | 1,849                | 12                              |
| 23      | Rajasthan           | 3,42,239           | 16,572               | 16,630               | 58                              |
| 24      | Sikkim              | 7,096              | 3,344                | 3,342                | -2                              |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu          | 1,30,060           | 26,281               | 26,364               | 83                              |
| 26      | Telangana           | 1,12,077           | 20,419               | 20,582               | 163                             |
| 27      | Tripura             | 10,486             | 7,726                | 7,726                | 0                               |
| 28      | Uttar Pradesh       | 2,40,928           | 14,679               | 14,806               | 127                             |
| 29      | Uttarakhand         | 53,483             | 24,295               | 24,303               | 8                               |
| 30      | West Bengal         | 88,752             | 16,847               | 16,902               | 55                              |
| 31      | A&N Islands         | 8249               | 6,742                | 6,743                | 1                               |
| 32      | Chandigarh          | 114                | 21.56                | 22.03                | 0                               |
| 33      | Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 491                | 207                  | 207                  | 0                               |
| 34      | Daman &Diu          | 111                | 20.49                | 20.49                | 0                               |
| 35      | Lakshadweep         | 30                 | 27.1                 | 27.1                 | 0                               |
| 36      | Puducherry          | 490                | 53.67                | 52.41                | -1                              |
|         | Grand Total         | 32,87,469          | 7,08,273             | 7,12,249             | 3,976                           |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3637 due for answer on 20.12.2021 regarding 'Conservation and Development of Forest'.

## District- wise Forest Cover in Uttar Pradesh

(Area in square kilometre)

|                     | Geo- graphical Area   | 2019 Assessment   | 2019 Assessment   | 2019 Assessment   | 2019 Assessment   | %     | Change                |       |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------|-----------------------|-------|
| District            | (GA)                  | Very Dense Forest | Mod. Dense Forest | Open Forest       | Total             | of GA | wrt 2017 assess- ment | Scrub |
| Agra                | 4,041                 | 0.00              | 62.68             | 199.94            | 262.62            | 6.50  | -9.38                 | 75.14 |
| Aligarh             | 3,650                 | 0.00              | 7.00              | 59.75             | 66.75             | 1.83  | -0.25                 | 1.00  |
| Allahabad           | 5,482                 | 6.00              | 26.00             | 97.21             | 129.21            | 2.36  | 2.21                  | 36.26 |
| Ambedkar Nagar      | 2,350                 | 0.00              | 1.00              | 40.12             | 41.12             | 1.75  | 0.12                  | 0.00  |
| Auraiya             | 2,016                 | 0.00              | 4.96              | 36.42             | 41.38             | 2.05  | 0.38                  | 10.09 |
| Azamgarh            | 4,054                 | 0.00              | 1.00              | 49.00             | 50.00             | 1.23  | 0.00                  | 0.00  |
| Baghpat             | 1,321                 | 0.00              | 5.00              | 12.06             | 17.06             | 1.29  | 0.06                  | 0.00  |
| Bahraich            | 5,237                 | 240.00            | 156.11            | 153.99            | 550.10            | 10.50 | 1.10                  | 9.00  |
| Ballia              | 2,981                 | 0.00              | 0.00              | 22.15             | 22.15             | 0.74  | 0.15                  | 0.00  |
| Balrampur           | 3,349                 | 279.00            | 157.94            | 89.07             | 526.01            | 15.71 | 2.01                  | 3.00  |
| Banda               | 4,408                 | 0.00              | 55.91             | 46.00             | 101.91            | 2.31  | -0.09                 | 4.00  |
| Bara Banki          | 4,402                 | 3.00              | 6.00              | 74.07             | 83.07             | 1.89  | 6.07                  | 5.70  |
| Bareilly            | 4,120                 | 0.00              | 7.00              | 38.00             | 45.00             | 1.09  | 0.00                  | 0.00  |
| Basti               | 2,688                 | 1.00              | 6.00              | 22.25             | 29.25             | 1.09  | 0.25                  | 0.00  |
| Bijnor              | 4,561                 | 39.00             | 218.38            | 146.23            | 403.61            | 8.85  | 1.61                  | 5.52  |
| Budaun              | 5,168                 | 0.00              | 8.13              | 23.91             | 32.04             | 0.62  | -12.96                | 6.00  |
| Bulandshahr         | 4,512                 | 0.00              | 49.72             | 115.40            | 165.12            | 3.66  | -0.88                 | 0.00  |
| Chandauli           | 2,541                 | 7.00              | 192.00            | 366.26            | 565.26            | 22.25 | 0.26                  | 10.00 |
| Chitrakoot          | 3,216                 | 81.00             | 319.00            | 186.40            | 586.40            | 18.23 | 0.40                  | 40.51 |
| Deoria              | 2,540                 | 0.00              | 1.00              | 14.21             | 15.21             | 0.60  | 0.21                  | 0.00  |
| Etah                | 2,431                 | 0.00              | 0.98              | 25.20             | 26.18             | 1.08  | -4.82                 | -0.26 |
| Etawah              | 2,311                 | 0.00              | 62.75             | 188.63            | 251.38            | 10.88 | 9.38                  | 45.05 |
| Faizabad            | 2,341                 | 6.00              | 10.00             | 73.30             | 89.30             | 3.81  | 3.30                  | 0.96  |
| Farrukhabad         | 2,181                 | 0.00              | 14.00             | 33.45             | 47.45             | 2.18  | 0.45                  | 2.00  |
| Fatehpur            | 4,152                 | 0.00              | 18.00             | 35.44             | 53.44             | 1.29  | 0.44                  | 0.00  |
| Firozabad           | 2,407                 | 0.00              | 5.00              | 53.60             | 58.60             | 2.43  | 9.60                  | 27.01 |
| Gautam Buddha Nagar | 1,282                 | 0.00              | 5.00              | 15.00             | 20.00             | 1.56  | 0.00                  | 0.00  |
| Ghaziabad           | 1,179                 | 0.00              | 8.67              | 16.55             | 25.22             | 2.14  | -0.78                 | 0.00  |
| Ghazipur            | 3,377                 | 0.00              | 1.00              | 28.00             | 29.00             | 0.86  | 0.00                  | 0.00  |
| Gonda               | 4,003                 | 67.00             | 8.36              | 39.50             | 114.86            | 2.87  | 0.86                  | 0.00  |
| Gorakhpur           | 3,321                 | 28.00             | 23.00             | 28.00             | 79.00             | 2.38  | 0.00                  | 0.00  |
| Hamirpur            | 4,021                 | 0.00              | 80.00             | 147.00            | 227.00            | 5.65  | 0.00                  | 14.00 |
| Hardoi              | 5,986                 | 0.00              | 16.98             | 126.87            | 143.85            | 2.40  | -0.15                 | 5.00  |
| Jalaun              | 4,565                 | 0.00              | 60.58             | 186.73            | 247.31            | 5.42  | -1.69                 | 37.97 |
| Jaunpur             | 4,038                 | 0.00              | 11.00             | 56.02             | 67.02             | 1.66  | 0.02                  | 0.00  |
| Jhansi              | 5,024                 | 0.00              | 42.00             | 262.05            | 304.05            | 6.05  | 1.05                  | 41.96 |
| JyotibaPhule Nagar  | 2,249                 | 0.00              | 25.00             | 61.00             | 86.00             | 3.82  | 0.00                  | 0.00  |
| Kannauj             | 2,093                 | 0.00              | 0.00              | 27.82             | 27.82             | 1.33  | -0.18                 | 0.00  |
| Kanpur Dehat        | 3,021                 | 0.00              | 3.00              | 38.00             | 41.00             | 1.36  | 0.00                  | 9.00  |
| Kanpur Nagar        | 3,155                 | 0.00              | 7.00              | 59.00             | 66.00             | 2.09  | 0.00                  | 3.00  |
| Kanshiram Nagar     | 1,955                 | 0.00              | 7.67              | 41.13             | 48.80             | 2.50  | -19.20                | 0.00  |

| Kaushambi                    | 1,779    | 0.00     | 5.00     | 22.83    | 27.83     |   1.56 |   0.83 |   0.00 |
|------------------------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|--------|--------|--------|
| Kheri T                      | 7,680    | 804.91   | 158.21   | 309.94   | 1,273.06  |  16.58 |  -0.94 |   4.49 |
| Kushinagar                   | 2,905    | 0.00     | 2.00     | 32.84    | 34.84     |   1.2  |   0.84 |   0    |
| Lalitpur                     | 5,039    | 0.00     | 128.89   | 452.40   | 581.29    |  11.54 |  -5.71 |  33.18 |
| Lucknow                      | 2,528    | 0.00     | 162.00   | 216.87   | 378.87    |  14.99 |  13.87 |   2.18 |
| Mahamaya Nagar               | 1,840    | 0.00     | 1.00     | 22.00    | 23.00     |   1.25 |   0    |   0    |
| Mahoba                       | 3,144    | 0.00     | 21.00    | 149.00   | 170.00    |   5.41 |   0    |  62    |
| Mahrajganj                   | 2,952    | 259.00   | 101.00   | 69.07    | 429.07    |  14.53 |   0.07 |   0.34 |
| Mainpuri                     | 2,760    | 0.00     | 1.00     | 12.64    | 13.64     |   0.49 |  -0.36 |   0    |
| Mathura                      | 3,340    | 0.00     | 4.00     | 53.04    | 57.04     |   1.71 |  -2.96 |   3.52 |
| Mau                          | 1,713    | 0.00     | 0.00     | 11.00    | 11.00     |   0.64 |   0    |   0    |
| Meerut                       | 2,559    | 0.00     | 34.00    | 34.41    | 68.41     |   2.67 |   0.41 |   0    |
| Mirzapur                     | 4,405    | 8.00     | 289.58   | 506.15   | 803.73    |  18.25 |  -1.27 |  47    |
| Moradabad                    | 3,718    | 0.00     | 5.00     | 23.00    | 28.00     |   0.75 |   0    |   0    |
| Muzaffarnagar                | 4,008    | 0.00     | 14.00    | 52.11    | 66.11     |   1.65 |  26.11 |   0    |
| Pilibhit                     | 3,686    | 471.00   | 86.73    | 129.38   | 687.11    |  18.64 |  -0.89 |   2.11 |
| Pratapgarh                   | 3,717    | 0.00     | 31.58    | 86.24    | 117.82    |   3.17 |  15.82 |   2    |
| Rae Bareli                   | 4,609    | 0.00     | 4.00     | 89.54    | 93.54     |   2.03 |   0.54 |   1.32 |
| Rampur                       | 2,367    | 4.00     | 26.00    | 45.00    | 75.00     |   3.17 |   0    |   0    |
| Saharanpur                   | 3,689    | 0.00     | 174.00   | 269.26   | 443.26    |  12.02 |  70.26 |   0    |
| Sant Kabir Nagar             | 1,646    | 0.00     | 1.00     | 13.00    | 14.00     |   0.85 |   0    |   1    |
| Sant Ravidas Nagar (Bhadohi) | 1,015    | 0.00     | 0.00     | 3.12     | 3.12      |   0.31 |   0.12 |   0    |
| Shahjahanpur                 | 4,388    | 26.00    | 7.00     | 26.31    | 59.31     |   1.35 |  -1.69 |   1.17 |
| Shrawasti                    | 1,640    | 151.52   | 90.23    | 42.79    | 284.54    |  17.35 |  -0.46 |   0    |
| Siddharthnagar               | 2,895    | 0.00     | 8.00     | 26.08    | 34.08     |   1.18 |   0.08 |   0    |
| Sitapur                      | 5,743    | 0.00     | 19.00    | 190.42   | 209.42    |   3.65 |   0.42 |   6.3  |
| Sonbhadra                    | 6,905    | 130.00   | 967.00   | 1,443.29 | 2,540.29  |  36.79 |   1.29 |  28    |
| Sultanpur                    | 4,436    | 5.00     | 15.00    | 190.03   | 210.03    |   4.73 |   6.03 |   0    |
| Unnao                        | 4,558    | 0.00     | 28.00    | 236.59   | 264.59    |   5.8  |  14.59 |   0    |
| Varanasi                     | 1,535    | 0.00     | 1.00     | 16.10    | 17.10     |   1.11 |   0.1  |   0    |
| Grand Total                  | 2,40,928 | 2,616.43 | 4,080.04 | 8,109.18 | 14,805.65 |   6.15 | 126.65 | 586.52 |