Lok Sabha Question No. 2470 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-01
Subject: Plantation Drive to increase Forest
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Chandeshwar Prasad

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

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTIO N NO.2470

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2022

## Plantation Drive to increase Forest

## 2470.   SHRI CHANDESHWAR PRASAD:

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

- (a) the density of forest cover and green belt existing in the country during the last three years,  and  the  number  of trees  added  through  plantation  drives  in  the  forest  area,  the State-wise and year-wise details thereof; and
- (b) the  measures  undertaken  to  promote  plantation,  preservation  and  irrigation  and  the expenditure  incurred  on  plantation  corresponding  to  the  target  fixed,  in  this  regard, during the rainy season and thereafter, in the year 2022, the State-wise details thereof, including the State of Bihar?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Assessment  of  Forest  &  Tree  cover  is  undertaken  by  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI) biennially. As per the India State of Forest Report-2021 (ISFR 2021) the total forest and tree cover in the country is 8,09,537sq km i.e. Very dense forest 99,779sq km, Moderately dense forest 3,06,890sq km, Open forest 3,07,120sq km and Tree cover 95,748  sq  km,  which  is  24.62%  of  the  geographical  area  of  the  country.  As  per ISFR2021 there is an increase of 2261sq. km. in forest and tree cover with respect to ISFR 2019. This increase in forest cover is due to plantation and conservation efforts taken  up  across  the  country  under  various  schemes  of  Central  and  State/  Union Territories  (UT)  governments  including  mass  plantation  drives.  The  State  and  UT wise details of forest and tree cover as per ISFR 2021 are given at Annexure I .
- (b) The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  supports  the  States/Union Territories for carrying out various afforestation activities through Centrally Sponsored Scheme  namely  National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM),  National  Afforestation Programme (NAP) and transfers fund under CAMPA  to  promote plantation, preservation and increase the soil & moisture conservation and green cover across the country. Further, the Ministry implements the Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme to extend support to the State/ UT Governments in forest fire prevention and management  to  prevent  destruction  of  forests.  Annual  afforestation/tree  plantation targets are fixed by the Ministry for all States/UTs including Bihar which are achieved through the concerted efforts. The State/UT wise details of afforestation/tree plantation targets fixed for the year 2022-23 are given in Annexure II .

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Annexure referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Un-starred  Question  No. 2470  due  for  reply  on  01.08.2022by  Shri  Chandeshwar  Prasad  regarding  'Plantation Drive to increase Forest'

Details of Forest and Tree Cover as per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2021

| Sl.No.   | State/ UT             | Geographical Area (GA)   | Forest &Tree Cover ISFR, 2021   | Change in Forest &Tree Cover over ISFR 2019   |
|----------|-----------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh        | 1,62,968                 | 34,463                          | 1,412                                         |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh     | 83,743                   | 67,432                          | -104                                          |
| 3        | Assam                 | 7,8,438                  | 29,942                          | 207                                           |
| 4        | Bihar                 | 94,163                   | 9,722                           | 413                                           |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh          | 1,35,192                 | 61,072                          | 1,213                                         |
| 6        | Delhi                 | 1,483                    | 342                             | 18                                            |
| 7        | Goa                   | 3,702                    | 2,488                           | -21                                           |
| 8        | Gujarat               | 1,96,244                 | 20,415                          | -1,354                                        |
| 9        | Haryana               | 44,212                   | 3,028                           | -139                                          |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh      | 55,673                   | 16,118                          | -145                                          |
| 11       | Jharkhand             | 79,716                   | 26,588                          | 320                                           |
| 12       | Karnataka             | 1,91,791                 | 46,224                          | 1,392                                         |
| 13       | Kerala                | 38,852                   | 24,073                          | -7                                            |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh        | 3,08,252                 | 85,547                          | -274                                          |
| 15       | Maharashtra           | 3,07,713                 | 62,906                          | 1,322                                         |
| 16       | Manipur               | 22,327                   | 16,767                          | -253                                          |
| 17       | Meghalaya             | 22,429                   | 17,744                          | -85                                           |
| 18       | Mizoram               | 21,081                   | 18,264                          | -183                                          |
| 19       | Nagaland              | 16,579                   | 12,616                          | -232                                          |
| 20       | Odisha                | 1,55,707                 | 57,160                          | 893                                           |
| 21       | Punjab                | 50,362                   | 2,985                           | -456                                          |
| 22       | Rajasthan             | 3,42,239                 | 25,388                          | 646                                           |
| 23       | Sikkim                | 7,096                    | 3,380                           | 2                                             |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu            | 1,30,060                 | 30,843                          | -351                                          |
| 25       | Telangana             | 1,12,077                 | 24,062                          | 966                                           |
| 26       | Tripura               | 10,486                   | 7,950                           | -7                                            |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh         | 2,40,928                 | 22,239                          | 91                                            |
| 28       | Uttarakhand           | 53,483                   | 25,306                          | 162                                           |
| 29       | West Bengal           | 88,752                   | 19,181                          | 273                                           |
| 30       | A&N Islands           | 8,249                    | 6,767                           | -17                                           |
| 31       | Chandigarh            | 114                      | 38                              | -9                                            |
| 32       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli # | 491                      | 260                             | 25                                            |
| 33       | Daman &Diu #          | 111                      | 0                               | -25                                           |
| 34       | Jammu &Kashmir*       | 2,22,236                 | 24,898                          | -4,168                                        |
| 35       | Ladakh                |                          | 3,226                           | 736                                           |
| 36       | Lakshadweep           | 30                       | 27                              | 0                                             |
| 37       | Puducherry            | 490                      | 76                              | 1                                             |
|          | Grand Total           | 32,87,469                | 8,09,537                        | 2,261                                         |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Un-starred Question No. 2470 due for reply  on  01.08.2022  by  Shri  Chandeshwar  Prasad  regarding  'Plantation  Drive  to  increase Forest'

## State/UT-wise details of afforestation/tree plantation targets for the year 2022-23 under Twenty Point Programme  (Area in hectare)

|   Sl.No. | Name of State/UT      |   Target - 2022-23 |
|----------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh        |             204400 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh     |                870 |
|        3 | Assam                 |               6740 |
|        4 | Bihar                 |              48170 |
|        5 | Chhattisgarh          |              45790 |
|        6 | Goa                   |                170 |
|        7 | Gujarat               |             167180 |
|        8 | Haryana               |              25310 |
|        9 | Himachal Pradesh      |              29610 |
|       10 | Jharkhand             |              33610 |
|       11 | Karnataka             |              58870 |
|       12 | Kerala                |              12810 |
|       13 | Madhya Pradesh        |              83460 |
|       14 | Maharashtra           |             229770 |
|       15 | Manipur               |               5810 |
|       16 | Meghalaya             |                850 |
|       17 | Mizoram               |               6080 |
|       18 | Nagaland              |               2620 |
|       19 | Orissa                |             127200 |
|       20 | Punjab                |              21310 |
|       21 | Rajasthan             |              37740 |
|       22 | Sikkim                |               3540 |
|       23 | Tamil Nadu            |              22860 |
|       24 | Telangana             |             291030 |
|       25 | Tripura               |              19400 |
|       26 | Uttarakhand           |              34650 |
|       27 | Uttar Pradesh         |             445590 |
|       28 | West Bengal           |              52640 |
|       29 | A &NIslands           |               2910 |
|       30 | Chandigarh            |                140 |
|       31 | D &NHaveli Daman &Diu |                650 |
|       32 | Delhi                 |               4900 |
|       33 | Jammu and Kashmir     |              20770 |
|       34 | Ladakh                |                150 |
|       35 | Lakshadweep           |                 20 |
|       36 | Puducherry            |                510 |

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