Lok Sabha Question No. 3518 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Decrease in Forest Cover
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kunwar Danish Ali

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3518

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 08.08.2022

## Decrease in Forest Cover

## 3518. SHRI KUNWAR DANISH ALI:

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

- (a) Whether there is a continuous decline in forest areas in the country and if so, the  details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) The steps taken/schemes made by the Government regarding forest cover in the country during the last three years and the progress made in the regard; and
- (c) The plan-wise details of the budget allocated to the States during the last three years and the current year?

## 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 wallto-wall  mapping  exercise  based  on  remote  sensing  supported  by  intensive  ground verification and field data from National Forest Inventory.  ISFR 2021 is the latest report released by the Ministry on 13 th January, 2022.  As per the ISFR reports, the change in forest  cover  w.r.t.  previous  assessments  from  ISFR-2015  to  ISFR-2021  is  given  as below:-

## (Area in square kilometre)

|   S. No. |   ISFR | Total Forest Cover   | Change in forest cover w.r.t. previous assessment   |
|----------|--------|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|        1 |   2015 | 7,01,495             | 3,597                                               |
|        2 |   2017 | 7,08,273             | 6,778                                               |
|        3 |   2019 | 7,12,249             | 3,976                                               |
|        4 |   2021 | 7,13,789             | 1,540                                               |

Hence,  the  overall  increase  in  forest  cover  from  ISFR-2015  to  ISFR-2021  is  12,294 square kilometre.

- (b) &  (c)        To  improve  and  increase  the  forest  &  tree  cover  in  the  country,  afforestation programmes are taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry such as  National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM).  GIM  is  one  of  the  eight  Missions  outlined under  the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change.  It  aims  at  protecting,  restoring  and enhancing India's forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation activities in the forest and non-forest areas. GIM activities were started in the FY 2015-16. So,  far  a  sum  of  Rs.  375.13  Crores  have  been  released  to  fifteen  States  and  one  union territory  during  last  three  years  for  taking  up  the  advance  work  regarding  creation  of plantation over an area of 98260 hectares.

The  Ministry  is  implementing  Nagar  Van  Yojana  (NVY)  since  the  year  2020  which envisages developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period of 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to significantly enhance the tree outside forests and green cover, enhancement of biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from improving quality of life of city dwellers with the funds under the National Fund  of  the  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and  Planning  Authority (CAMPA). During the year 2020-21 an amount of Rs. 1553.65 lakhs has been released and during 2021-22 an amount of Rs. 10875.44 lakh has been released. A total amount of Rs. 12429.09 Lakhs has been released for the creation of 173 Nagar Van projects in 26 States of the  country  till  date.    The  Ministry  is  also  implementing  'School  Nursery  Yojana'  (SNY) since  the  year  2020  for  a  period  of  five  years  where  students  of  class  Sixth,  Seventh  and Eighth from all public and private schools organized by State Boards/ Central Government Boards  all  over  the  country  will  be  actively  involved  in  developing  nursery,  raising  and planting seedlings as part of school curriculum. During the year 2020-21 an amount of Rs. 15.20 lakh has been released and during 2021-22 an amount of Rs. 180.39 lakhs has been released.    A  total  amount  of  Rs.  195.15  lakhs  have  been  released  for  the  creation  School Nurseries across 313 schools in 7 States of the country till date.

Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 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.  In  addition,  plantations  are  also  done  by  various departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc.

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