Lok Sabha Question No. 3055 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Forest Area
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Devji Mansingram Patel

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3055

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.08.2021

## Forest Area

## 3055.   SHRI JASWANT SINGH BHABHOR: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

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

- (a) whether the forest cover area is declining due to the rising level of pollution in cities and urbanization;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  conserve  forests  on non-forest  land,  defined  forest  land  and  forests  covered  under  the  Assisted  Natural Regeneration;
- (c)  whether  the  special  package  has  been  announced  under  CAMPA  fund  to  create  the employment  opportunities  in  the  tribal  areas  of  the  country  including  Gujarat  and Rajasthan,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  total  fund  released  and  utilised,  State/UTwise;
- (d)  whether  funds  are  being  misused  by  the  officials  and  forest  department  in  absence  of direct hold of gram sabha and local representatives on the CAMPA fund and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to make the panchayats and gram sabha accountable for promoting afforestation and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b)   Forest cover in country is increasing. There is an increase of 13,209 square kilometer of  forest  and  tree  cover  at  the  national  level  in  the  ISFR-2019  as  compared  to  the ISFR-  2015.  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  ISFR  2019,  the  total  forest  and  tree  cover  of  the  country  is 8,07,276 square kilometers which is 24.56 % of the geographical area of the country. The  State/UTs  wise  details  of  forest  and  tree  cover  as  per  ISFR-2019  is  given  in Annexure-I.

The State/UTs wise details of change in forest and tree cover as compared with ISFR2019 and ISFR-2015 is given in Annexure-II.

- (c)  On 12.05.2020, Hon'ble Prime Minister announced a special economic package of Rs. 20,00,000 crore  under Atma Nirbhar Bharat. This package also included Rs. 6,000 crore employment push using CAMPA funds to created job opportunities including for  tribal  communities  in  semi-urban  and  rural  areas.  Against  this,  the  National Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and  Planning  Authority  (National Authority)  has  approved  Annual  Plan  of  Operation  (APOs)  of  31  States/UTs amounting to Rs. 7906.16 crores as on 31 st March, 2021. As per information received from States/UTs 8,04,45,886 man-days have been generated till 31.03.2021 from 31 States/UTs. The State/UTs wise details are given in Annexure-III.
- (d) All  complaints  received  in  the  National  Authority  are  forwarded  to  the  concerned States Government /UTs Administration for enquiry. In addition, the State Government  UT  Administrations  also  take  action  on  their  own  on  the  complaints received  by  them  and  after  enquiry,  take  necessary  action  including  initiation  of disciplinary proceedings against the guilty personnel
- (e)  The  forestry  activities  including  afforestation  programmes  of  the  Government  are undertaken in consultation as well as with active participation of local people/Panchayats/Gram Sabha/Village Forest Management Committee.

**********

## Annexure I

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok SabhaUnstarred Question No. 3055 due for answer on 06.08.2021 regarding 'Forest Area'

## State/UTs wise details of Forest and Tree Cover as per ISFR 2019

## (Area in square kilometre)

| State/UTs           | Geographic Area   | Forest Cover   |   Percentage of forest cover to geographical area | Tree Cover   |   Percentage of tree cover to geographical area |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh      | 1,62,968          | 29,137         |                                             17.88 | 3,914        |                                            2.4  |
| Arunachal Pradesh   | 83,743            | 66,688         |                                             79.63 | 848          |                                            1.01 |
| Assam               | 78,438            | 28,327         |                                             36.11 | 1,408        |                                            1.8  |
| Bihar               | 94,163            | 7,306          |                                              7.76 | 2,003        |                                            2.13 |
| Chhattisgarh        | 1,35,192          | 55,611         |                                             41.13 | 4,248        |                                            3.14 |
| Delhi               | 1,483             | 195.44         |                                             13.18 | 129          |                                            8.73 |
| Goa                 | 3,702             | 2,237          |                                             60.43 | 272          |                                            7.34 |
| Gujarat             | 1,96,244          | 14,857         |                                              7.57 | 6,912        |                                            3.52 |
| Haryana             | 44,212            | 1,602          |                                              3.62 | 1,565        |                                            3.54 |
| Himachal Pradesh    | 55,673            | 15,434         |                                             27.72 | 829          |                                            1.49 |
| Jammu &Kashmir      | 2,22,236          | 23,612         |                                             10.62 | 7,944        |                                            3.57 |
| Jharkhand           | 79,716            | 23,611         |                                             29.62 | 2,657        |                                            3.33 |
| Karnataka           | 1,91,791          | 38,575         |                                             20.11 | 6,257        |                                            3.26 |
| Kerala              | 38,852            | 21,144         |                                             54.42 | 2,936        |                                            7.56 |
| Madhya Pradesh      | 3,08,252          | 77,482         |                                             25.14 | 8,339        |                                            2.71 |
| Maharashtra         | 3,07,713          | 50,778         |                                             16.5  | 10,806       |                                            3.51 |
| Manipur             | 22,327            | 16,847         |                                             75.46 | 173          |                                            0.77 |
| Meghalaya           | 22,429            | 17,119         |                                             76.33 | 710          |                                            3.17 |
| Mizoram             | 21,081            | 18,006         |                                             85.41 | 441          |                                            2.09 |
| Nagaland            | 16,579            | 12,486         |                                             75.31 | 362          |                                            2.19 |
| Odisha              | 1,55,707          | 51,619         |                                             33.15 | 4,648        |                                            2.98 |
| Punjab              | 50,362            | 1,849          |                                              3.67 | 1,592        |                                            3.16 |
| Rajasthan           | 3,42,239          | 16,630         |                                              4.86 | 8,112        |                                            2.37 |
| Sikkim              | 7,096             | 3,342          |                                             47.1  | 36           |                                            0.51 |
| Tamil Nadu          | 1,30,060          | 26,364         |                                             20.27 | 4,830        |                                            3.71 |
| Telangana           | 1,12,077          | 20,582         |                                             18.36 | 2,514        |                                            2.24 |
| Tripura             | 10,486            | 7,726          |                                             73.68 | 231          |                                            2.2  |
| Uttar Pradesh       | 2,40,928          | 14,806         |                                              6.15 | 7,342        |                                            3.05 |
| Uttarakhand         | 53,483            | 24,303         |                                             45.44 | 841          |                                            1.57 |
| West Bengal         | 88,752            | 16,902         |                                             19.04 | 2,006        |                                            2.26 |
| A&N Islands         | 8,249             | 6,743          |                                             81.74 | 41           |                                            0.5  |
| Chandigarh          | 114               | 22.03          |                                             19.32 | 25           |                                           22.34 |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 491               | 207            |                                             42.16 | 28           |                                            5.75 |
| Daman &Diu          | 111               | 20.49          |                                             18.46 | 5            |                                            4.87 |
| Lakshadweep         | 30                | 27.10          |                                             90.33 | 0.29         |                                            0.97 |
| Puducherry          | 490               | 52.41          |                                             10.7  | 23           |                                            4.66 |
| Grand Total         | 32,87,469         | 7,12,249       |                                             21.67 | 95,027       |                                            2.89 |

Forest Cover = 21.67% of total geographical area.

Tree Cover= 2.89% of total geographical area.

Total Tree and Forest Cover = 24.56% of total geographical area.

## Annexure-II

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3055 due for answer on 06.08.2021 regarding 'Forest Area'

State/UTs wise Change in forest and tree cover as per ISFR-2019 and 2015.

(Area in square kilometre)

| S. No   | State/UT            |   Increase/decrease in forest cover w.r.t. ISFR 2015 (as per ISFR 2019) |   Increase/decrease in tree cover w.r.t. ISFR 2015 (as per ISFR 2019) |
|---------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh      |                                                                 3131    |                                                                -51    |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh   |                                                                 -466    |                                                                 87    |
| 3       | Assam               |                                                                  789    |                                                               -205    |
| 4       | Bihar               |                                                                   52    |                                                               -179    |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh        |                                                                   52    |                                                                619    |
| 6       | Delhi               |                                                                    6.67 |                                                                 18    |
| 7       | Goa                 |                                                                   27    |                                                                -53    |
| 8       | Gujarat             |                                                                  147    |                                                              -1002    |
| 9       | Haryana             |                                                                   22    |                                                                210    |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh    |                                                                  727    |                                                                 72    |
| 11      | Jammu &Kashmir      |                                                                  624    |                                                               -410    |
| 12      | Jharkhand           |                                                                   87    |                                                               -126    |
| 13      | Karnataka           |                                                                 2126    |                                                                705    |
| 14      | Kerala              |                                                                 1866    |                                                                -15    |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh      |                                                                   56    |                                                                566    |
| 16      | Maharashtra         |                                                                   79    |                                                               1248    |
| 17      | Manipur             |                                                                 -236    |                                                                -70    |
| 18      | Meghalaya           |                                                                 -143    |                                                                  0    |
| 19      | Mizoram             |                                                                 -711    |                                                                -94    |
| 20      | Nagaland            |                                                                 -453    |                                                                -19    |
| 21      | Odisha              |                                                                 1159    |                                                                662    |
| 22      | Punjab              |                                                                   78    |                                                                 48    |
| 23      | Rajasthan           |                                                                  524    |                                                               -157    |
| 24      | Sikkim              |                                                                  -11    |                                                                  1    |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu          |                                                                  156    |                                                                325    |
| 26      | Telangana           |                                                                  728    |                                                                -35    |
| 27      | Tripura             |                                                                 -164    |                                                                 -2    |
| 28      | Uttar Pradesh       |                                                                  405    |                                                                298    |
| 29      | Uttarakhand         |                                                                   31    |                                                                 89    |
| 30      | West Bengal         |                                                                   76    |                                                                -82    |
| 31      | A&NIslands          |                                                                   -8    |                                                                  4    |
| 32      | Chandigarh          |                                                                    0.37 |                                                                 16    |
| 33      | Dadra &Nagar Haveli |                                                                    1    |                                                                  0    |
| 34      | Daman &Diu          |                                                                    0.88 |                                                                 -5    |
| 35      | Lakshadweep         |                                                                    0.04 |                                                                 -3.71 |
| 36      | Puducherry          |                                                                   -4.54 |                                                                 -4    |
|         | Total               |                                                                10754    |                                                               2455    |

## Annexure III

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3055

## due for answer on 06.08.2021 regarding 'Forest Area'

| Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   | Progress Report under Atma Nirbhar Bharat (as on 31.03.2021)   |                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       | Received from States/UTs                                       |                                |
| S.No.                                                          | Name of States/Uts                                             | District                                                       | Financial Target (in Rs. Crore)                                | Financial Target (in Rs. Crore)                                | Fund Released (in Rs. Crore)                                   | Expenditure (In Rs. crore)                                     | Physical Target of plantations (in Ha.)                        | Physical Target Achieved (in Ha)                               | Employment Generated                                           | Updated by State Government on |
|                                                                |                                                                |                                                                | As per APO approved                                            | As received from States                                        |                                                                | Cumulative                                                     |                                                                | Cumulative                                                     | (In person days)                                               |                                |
| I                                                              | II                                                             | III                                                            | IV                                                             | V                                                              | VI                                                             | VII                                                            | VIII                                                           | IX                                                             | X                                                              | XI                             |
| 1                                                              | Andaman& Nicobar Islands                                       |                                                                | 2.13                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 31.03.2021                     |
| 2                                                              | Andhra Pradesh                                                 | 13 Districts                                                   | 330.82                                                         | 330.82                                                         | 155.76                                                         | 44.85                                                          | 18526.35                                                       | 5539.00                                                        | 784898                                                         | 31.03.2021                     |
| 3                                                              | Arunachal Pradesh                                              |                                                                | 155.46                                                         | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 31.03.2021                     |
| 4                                                              | Assam                                                          | 29 Districts                                                   | 88.34                                                          | 88.33                                                          | 88.33                                                          | 9.16                                                           | 2575.00                                                        | 1944.78                                                        | 341870                                                         | 31.03.2021                     |
| 5                                                              | Bihar                                                          | 38 Districts                                                   | 239.47                                                         | 237.11                                                         | 186.42                                                         | 182.74                                                         | 2266.91                                                        | 2256.91                                                        | 4650360                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 6                                                              | Chandigarh                                                     | 1 District                                                     | 2.26                                                           | 2.26                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 1.80                                                           | 14.00                                                          | 14.00                                                          | 37490                                                          | 31.03.2021                     |
| 7                                                              | Chhattisgarh                                                   | 27 Districts                                                   | 1346.92                                                        | 1811.84                                                        | 707.50                                                         | 707.50                                                         | 6103.98                                                        | 6103.98                                                        | 14800001                                                       | 31.03.2021                     |
| 8                                                              | Delhi                                                          |                                                                | 19.55                                                          | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 0.00                                                           | 31.03.2021                     |
| 9                                                              | Goa                                                            | 2 Districts                                                    | 32.68                                                          | 32.68                                                          | 0.00                                                           | 6.26                                                           | 293.70                                                         | 293.70                                                         | 154085                                                         | 31.03.2021                     |
| 10                                                             | Gujarat                                                        | 33 Disricts                                                    | 240.69                                                         | 169.85                                                         | 169.85                                                         | 169.85                                                         | 1019.84                                                        | 1019.84                                                        | 2621142                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 11                                                             | Haryana                                                        | 22 Districts                                                   | 203.95                                                         | 203.95                                                         | 153.61                                                         | 125.43                                                         | 2689.50                                                        | 2493.39                                                        | 2529705                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 12                                                             | Himachal Pradesh                                               | 12 Districts                                                   | 158.38                                                         | 158.39                                                         | 150.89                                                         | 119.40                                                         | 2337.39                                                        | 2296.32                                                        | 1531113                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 13                                                             | Jammu& Kashmir                                                 | 22 Districts                                                   | 184.83                                                         | 161.05                                                         | 125.43                                                         | 101.93                                                         | 12066.00                                                       | 10886.00                                                       | 1828175                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 14                                                             | Jharkhand                                                      | 24 Districts                                                   | 376.56                                                         | 376.56                                                         | 241.45                                                         | 215.43                                                         | 11111.74                                                       | 11099.02                                                       | 5605872                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 15                                                             | Karnatka                                                       | 30 Districts                                                   | 212.94                                                         | 172.411                                                        | 172.07                                                         | 158.26                                                         | 14849.44                                                       | 14849.44                                                       | 3193909                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 16                                                             | Kerala                                                         |                                                                | 15.79                                                          | 15.79                                                          | 15.79                                                          | 10.88                                                          | 594.09                                                         | 292.28                                                         | 24806                                                          | 31.03.2021                     |
| 17                                                             | Madhya Pradesh                                                 | 50 Districts                                                   | 860.96                                                         | 576.94                                                         | 460.37                                                         | 456.07                                                         | 52593.24                                                       | 51772.87                                                       | 8540482                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 18                                                             | Maharashtra                                                    | 33 Disricts                                                    | 599.32                                                         | 475.44                                                         | 236.69                                                         | 212.50                                                         | 25466.29                                                       | 25466.29                                                       | 3216217                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 19                                                             | Manipur                                                        | 16 Districts                                                   | 27.79                                                          | 28.40                                                          | 28.40                                                          | 28.40                                                          | 6918.68                                                        | 6918.68                                                        | 1099620                                                        | 31.03.2021                     |
| 20                                                             | Meghalaya                                                      | 11 Districts                                                   | 33.97                                                          | 29.92                                                          | 16.72                                                          | 2.00                                                           | 1344.93                                                        | 478.66                                                         | 60785                                                          | 31.03.2021                     |
| 21                                                             | Mizoram                                                        |                                                                | 32.66                                                          | 32.66                                                          | 9.24                                                           | 9.24                                                           | 4952.84                                                        | 4952.84                                                        | 194543                                                         | 31.03.2021                     |

| 22    | Odisha        | 30 Districts   |   773.39 |   638.33 |   613.07 |   536.28 |   76779.40 |   66460.23 |          9050452 | 31.03.2021   |
|-------|---------------|----------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|------------|------------|------------------|--------------|
| 23    | Punjab        | 25 Districts   |   177.85 |   177.85 |   133.36 |    53.77 |    4937.33 |    4924.34 |      2.56065e+06 | 31.03.2021   |
| 24    | Rajasthan     | 33 Districts   |   280.98 |   280.7  |   220.47 |   188.58 |   12194.1  |   12097.9  |      3.48838e+06 | 31.03.2021   |
| 25    | Sikkim        | 4 Districts    |    66.9  |    66.17 |    47.72 |    44.02 |    4209.02 |    4209.02 | 630124           | 31.03.2021   |
| 26    | Tamil Nadu    |                |    66.63 |     0    |     0    |     0    |       0    |       0    |      0           | 31.03.2021   |
| 27    | Telangana     | 33 Districts   |   483.78 |   483.78 |   400.22 |   368.97 |   10442    |    9053    |      3.84602e+06 | 31.03.2021   |
| 28    | Tripura       | 8 Districts    |    21.51 |    21.51 |    19.03 |    17.37 |     582.8  |     582.8  | 527350           | 31.03.2021   |
| 29    | Uttar Pradesh | 75 Districts   |   442.01 |   237.8  |   237.8  |   235.68 |   12751.3  |   12751.3  |      6.14961e+06 | 31.03.2020   |
| 30    | Uttarakhand   | 13 Districts   |   353.64 |   353.64 |   272    |   141.3  |    6141.47 |    5181.64 |      2.86513e+06 | 31.03.2021   |
| 31    | West Bengal   | 26 Districts   |    74    |     8.48 |     8.48 |     6.35 |     380.66 |     277.42 | 113048           | 31.03.2021   |
| TOTAL | TOTAL         |                |  7906.16 |  7172.66 |  4870.67 |  4154.01 |  294142    |  264216    |      8.04458e+07 |              |