Lok Sabha Question No. 603 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-06
Subject: Forest Cover
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ashok Kumar Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 603

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2023

## Forest Cover

## 603. SHRI ASHOK KUMAR RAWAT:

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

- (a) the details of forest cover in the country as on date, State-wise;
- (b) whether the rapid depletion of forests is a serious threat to the environment;
- (c) whether any steps are being taken to increase the forest land during the current five year plan;
- (d) the  quantum  of  amount  allocated  for  this  purpose  along  with  the  details  of  the achievement made during the said period; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to enact a new law for the conservation of forest land, if so,the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) The 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). As per latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometre which is 21.72% of the geographical area of  the  country.  The  State/UTs  wise  details  of  forest  cover  as  per  ISFR  2021  is  given  in Annexure I.

(b) Depletion of forests is a serious threat to the environment. However, in India there has been no decrease in the forest cover. In fact, as per ISFR 2021, the forest cover of the country has increased by 1540square kilometreas compared to the last assessment i.e., ISFR 2019.As per the latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country has increased by 12,294 square kilometres in the last seven years (ISFR 2015 to ISFR 2021).

(c) & (d) For restoring and enhancing India's forest cover, afforestation and tree plantation activities  are  undertaken by  States and Union Territories Governments under various State schemes.  The  Ministry  provides  financial assistance to States  and Union  Territories Governments under various  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  namely  Green  India  Mission  to support and supplement the efforts of States and Union Territories. National Mission for a Green India (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 started in the FY 2015-16. During the last five FY (2017-18 to 2021-22) a sum of Rs. 500.85 Crores  have  been  released  to  sixteen  States  namely  Andhra  Pradesh,  Arunachal  Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,  Haryana,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Karnataka,  Kerala,  Manipur,  Mizoram,  Odisha, Punjab,  Uttarakhand,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Sikkim,  West  Bengal,  and  one  union territory, Jammu and Kashmir for creation of plantation over an area of 76587 hectares.

The  Ministry  is  implementing  Nagar  Van  Yojana  (NVY)  since  the  year  2020  which envisages creation of 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to enhance the forest and green cover in the urban and peri-urban areas including biological diversity and provide ecological benefits and improving the  quality  of  life  of  city  dwellers  from  funds  available  under  National  Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA). So far, the Ministry has approved 270 projects under Nagar Van Yojana with the total cost of Rs.238.64 Crore, which includes an amount of Rs. 57.14 Crore for creation of 97 Nagar Van/Vatika during 2022-23.

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA fund) are being utilized by States/UTs for taking  up  various  afforestation  activities  through  planting  of  native  species,  and  forest  & wildlife protection activities as per approved Annual Plan of Operations for compensating the loss of forest & tree cover due to diversion of forest land for developmental projects as per provisions of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 (CAF Act) and CAF Rules, 2018. The  details  of  CAMPA  funds  utilized  by  the  States/UTs  during  2017-18  to  2021-22  are enclosed at Annexure-II , and Afforestation taken up utilizing CAMPA fund during 2017-18 to 2021-22 are enclosed at Annexure-III.

Afforestation activities  are also taken up under various programs/schemes of line Ministry such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry etc. and under various schemes of State Government /UT  Administration,  and  by  various  departments,  Non-Government  Organizations,  Civil Society,  Corporate  bodies  etc.  The  multi  departmental  efforts  have  yielded  good  results  in conserving  forest  and  environment  by  addressing  the  problem  of  deforestation,  besides keeping the pace of development, which is evident from the fact that the forest cover has stabilized and has been constantly increasing over the years.

(e)  At present, there is no proposal for enact a new law for the conservation of forest land in the country.

********

Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 603 due for answer on 06.02.2023 regarding 'Forest Cover '

## State/UTs details of Forest Cover as per ISFR 2021

## (Area in square kilometre)

| S. No.   | State/UT          | Geo- graphical Area (GA)   | Total Forest Cover   | Percentage of Geographi cal area   | Change in Forest Cover w.r.t ISFR 2019   | Change Percentage w.r.t. 2019 assessment   | Scrub   |
|----------|-------------------|----------------------------|----------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 1,62,968                   | 29,784               | 18.28                              | 647                                      | 2.22                                       | 8,276   |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 83,743                     | 66,431               | 79.33                              | -257                                     | -0.39                                      | 797     |
| 3        | Assam             | 78,438                     | 28,312               | 36.09                              | -15                                      | -0.05                                      | 228     |
| 4        | Bihar             | 94,163                     | 7,381                | 7.84                               | 75                                       | 1.03                                       | 236     |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 1,35,192                   | 55,717               | 41.21                              | 106                                      | 0.19                                       | 615     |
| 6        | Delhi             | 1,483                      | 195.00               | 13.15                              | -0.44                                    | -0.23                                      | 0.38    |
| 7        | Goa               | 3,702                      | 2,244                | 60.62                              | 7                                        | 0.31                                       | 0       |
| 8        | Gujarat           | 1,96,244                   | 14,926               | 7.61                               | 69                                       | 0.46                                       | 2,828   |
| 9        | Haryana           | 44,212                     | 1,603                | 3.63                               | 1                                        | 0.06                                       | 159     |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh  | 55,673                     | 15,443               | 27.73                              | 9                                        | 0.06                                       | 322     |
| 11       | Jharkhand         | 79,716                     | 23,721               | 29.76                              | 110                                      | 0.47                                       | 584     |
| 12       | Karnataka         | 1,91,791                   | 38,730               | 20.19                              | 155                                      | 0.40                                       | 4,611   |
| 13       | Kerala            | 38,852                     | 21,253               | 54.70                              | 109                                      | 0.52                                       | 30      |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh    | 3,08,252                   | 77,493               | 25.14                              | 11                                       | 0.01                                       | 5,457   |
| 15       | Maharashtra       | 3,07,713                   | 50,798               | 16.51                              | 20                                       | 0.04                                       | 4,247   |
| 16       | Manipur           | 22,327                     | 16,598               | 74.34                              | -249                                     | -1.48                                      | 1,215   |
| 17       | Meghalaya         | 22,429                     | 17,046               | 76.00                              | -73                                      | -0.43                                      | 663     |
| 18       | Mizoram           | 21,081                     | 17,820               | 84.53                              | -186                                     | -1.03                                      | 1       |
| 19       | Nagaland          | 16,579                     | 12,251               | 73.90                              | -235                                     | -1.88                                      | 824     |
| 20       | Odisha            | 1,55,707                   | 52,156               | 33.50                              | 537                                      | 1.04                                       | 4,924   |
| 21       | Punjab            | 50,362                     | 1,847                | 3.67                               | -2                                       | -0.11                                      | 34      |
| 22       | Rajasthan         | 3,42,239                   | 16,655               | 4.87                               | 25                                       | 0.15                                       | 4,809   |
| 23       | Sikkim            | 7,096                      | 3,341                | 47.08                              | -1                                       | -0.03                                      | 296     |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu        | 1,30,060                   | 26,419               | 20.31                              | 55                                       | 0.21                                       | 758     |
| 25       | Telangana         | 1,12,077                   | 21,214               | 18.93                              | 632                                      | 3.07                                       | 2,911   |
| 26       | Tripura           | 10,486                     | 7,722                | 73.64                              | -4                                       | -0.05                                      | 33      |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh     | 2,40,928                   | 14,818               | 6.15                               | 12                                       | 0.08                                       | 563     |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 53,483                     | 24,305               | 45.44                              | 2                                        | 0.01                                       | 392     |
| 29       | West Bengal       | 88,752                     | 16,832               | 18.96                              | -70                                      | -0.41                                      | 156     |
| 30       | A&NIslands        | 8,249                      | 6,744                | 81.75                              | 1                                        | 0.01                                       | 1       |
| 31       | Chandigarh        | 114                        | 22.88                | 20.07                              | 0.85                                     | 3.86                                       | 0.38    |
|          | Jammu&            |                            |                      |                                    |                                          |                                            | 284     |
| 33       | Kashmir           | 2,22,236                   | 21,387               | 39.15                              | 29                                       | 0.14                                       |         |
| 34       | Ladakh            |                            | 2,272                | 1.35                               | 18                                       | 0.80                                       | 279     |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       | 30                         | 27.10                | 90.33                              | 0.00                                     | 0.00                                       | 0.00    |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 490                        | 53.30                | 10.88                              | 0.89                                     | 1.70                                       | 0.00    |
|          | Total             | 32,87,469                  | 7,13,789             | 21.71                              | 1,540                                    | 0.22                                       | 46,539  |

## Annexure-II

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 603 due for answer on 06.02.2023 regarding 'Forest Cover '

## Details of CAMPA funds utilized by the States/UTs during 2017-18 to 2021-22

(Rupees in Crore)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the State/UTs     | Utilisation of CAMPAfunds   | Utilisation of CAMPAfunds   | Utilisation of CAMPAfunds   | Utilisation of CAMPAfunds   | Utilisation of CAMPAfunds   |
|-----------|---------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of the State/UTs     | 2017-18                     | 2018-19                     | 2019-20                     | 2020-21                     | 2021-22                     |
| 1         | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0.002                       | 0.10                        | 0.01                        | 0.01                        | 0.00                        |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh            | 71.09                       | 109.50                      | 98.47                       | 60.96                       | 121.10                      |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh         | 6.69                        | 3.72                        | 3.19                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        |
| 4         | Assam                     | 33.36                       | 37.14                       | 32.02                       | 22.65                       | 21.48                       |
| 5         | Bihar                     | 33.21                       | 36.46                       | 125.39                      | 183.20                      | 0.13                        |
| 6         | Chandigarh                | 1.13                        | 1.27                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 5.14                        |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh              | 199.84                      | 283.64                      | 429.21                      | 651.64                      | 855.55                      |
| 8         | Dadar &Nagar Haveli       | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        |
| 9         | Delhi                     | 1.15                        | 1.73                        | 0.03                        | 0.03                        | 4.15                        |
| 10        | Goa                       | 1.50                        | 2.13                        | 6.86                        | 23.39                       | 17.75                       |
| 11        | Gujarat                   | 59.13                       | 152.33                      | 118.5                       | 169.85                      | 168.79                      |
| 12        | Haryana                   | 62.74                       | 122.74                      | 60.68                       | 125.73                      | 213.50                      |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh          | 105.22                      | 128.06                      | 88.50                       | 119.48                      | 94.77                       |
| 14        | Jammu &Kashmir            | 118.25                      | 77.54                       | 113.51                      | 112.61                      | 127.74                      |
| 15        | Jharkhand                 | 137.51                      | 239.46                      | 223.57                      | 214.93                      | 240.99                      |
| 16        | Karnataka                 | 9.37                        | 88.74                       | 104.14                      | 170.48                      | 299.99                      |
| 17        | Kerala                    | 6.02                        | 7.84                        | 0                           | 10.88                       | 16.03                       |
| 18        | Madhya Pradesh            | 145.53                      | 287.67                      | 343.15                      | 475.64                      | 561.09                      |
| 19        | Maharashtra               | 194.00                      | 217.39                      | 151.52                      | 236.58                      | 422.43                      |
| 20        | Manipur                   | 19.50                       | 24.85                       | 30.97                       | 27.79                       | 25.09                       |
| 21        | Meghalaya                 | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 22.01                       | 36.40                       |
| 22        | Mizoram                   | 6.10                        | 8.30                        | 0.00                        | 25.99                       | 17.65                       |
| 23        | Nagaland                  | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        |
| 24        | Odisha                    | 511.83                      | 0.00                        | 556.34                      | 674.99                      | 843.12                      |
| 25        | Punjab                    | 59.19                       | 81.27                       | 64.73                       | 128.59                      | 167.82                      |
| 26        | Rajasthan                 | 175.59                      | 132.82                      | 116.44                      | 192.37                      | 182.13                      |
| 27        | Sikkim                    | 4.48                        | 10.13                       | 39.46                       | 54.84                       | 70.00                       |
| 28        | Tamil Nadu                | 7.13                        | 4.35                        | 0.56                        | 0.00                        | 0.00                        |
| 29        | Telangana                 | 137.60                      | 213.19                      | 260.60                      | 378.35                      | 488.98                      |
| 30        | Tripura                   | 6.86                        | 12.85                       | 17.38                       | 17.92                       | 24.22                       |
| 31        | Uttar Pradesh             | 97.66                       | 194.92                      | 180.69                      | 252.19                      | 362.06                      |
| 32        | Uttarakhand               | 90.16                       | 119.09                      | 124.00                      | 250.01                      | 375.42                      |
| 33        | West Bengal               | 9.14                        | 25.36                       | 13.53                       | 8.25                        | 12.92                       |
|           | Total                     | 2310.982                    | 2624.59                     | 3303.45                     | 4611.36                     | 5776.44                     |

Annexure-III

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 603 due for answer on 06.02.2023 regarding 'Forest Cover '

## Details of afforestation taken up utilizing CAMPA fund during 2017-18 to 2021-22 (Area in Hectares)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the State/UT      | Afforestation taken up underCAMPA   | Afforestation taken up underCAMPA   | Afforestation taken up underCAMPA   | Afforestation taken up underCAMPA   | Afforestation taken up underCAMPA   |
|-----------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of the State/UT      | 2017-18                             | 2018-19                             | 2019-20                             | 2020-21                             | 2021-22                             |
| 1         | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0.00                                | 4.33                                | 16.54                               | 5.85                                | 0.00                                |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh            | 3093.00                             | 4033.00                             | 15829.00                            | 5645.00                             | 5777.00                             |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh         | 3449.96                             | 8716.00                             | 13857.70                            | 0.00                                | 0.00                                |
| 4         | Assam                     | 1020.00                             | 1394.11                             | 2084.32                             | 79.26                               | 1813.34                             |
| 5         | Bihar                     | 236.40                              | 1211.00                             | 1644.08                             | 6356.51                             | 0.00                                |
| 6         | Chandigarh                | 0.00                                | 0.74                                | 0.09                                | 0.09                                | 0.00                                |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh              | 5864.86                             | 7210.78                             | 6104.06                             | 4827.93                             | 6748.67                             |
| 8         | Dadar &Nagar Haveli       | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                |
| 9         | Delhi                     | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 47.54                               | 23.02                               |
| 10        | Goa                       | 0.00                                | 10.00                               | 40.00                               | 200.00                              | 200.00                              |
| 11        | Gujarat                   | 847.00                              | 746.00                              | 1922.42                             | 1547.41                             | 6458.55                             |
| 12        | Haryana                   | 0.00                                | 1300                                | 25.36                               | 833.67                              | 2246.00                             |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh          | 1382.75                             | 581.69                              | 568.32                              | 876.00                              | 954.36                              |
| 14        | Jammu &Kashmir            | 31.93                               | 30.88                               | 37.06                               | 67.78                               | 60.05                               |
| 15        | Jharkhand                 | 8073.00                             | 3690.11                             | 14088.25                            | 10714.02                            | 12406.86                            |
| 16        | Karnataka                 | 3521.74                             | 2465.29                             | 1370.36                             | 15780.62                            | 9895.27                             |
| 17        | Kerala                    | 170.00                              | 276.47                              | 0.00                                | 431.59                              | 619.03                              |
| 18        | Madhya Pradesh            | 3087.67                             | 1119.15                             | 25516.90                            | 37716.06                            | 35846.36                            |
| 19        | Maharashtra               | 6149.15                             | 832.51                              | 10011.89                            | 1043.03                             | 1684.97                             |
| 20        | Manipur                   | 6930.74                             | 2738.86                             | 337.00                              | 6056.94                             | 2155.00                             |
| 21        | Meghalaya                 | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 803.00                              | 534.00                              |
| 22        | Mizoram                   | 1150.00                             | 351.72                              | 0.00                                | 2536.5                              | 1303.78                             |
| 23        | Nagaland                  | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                |
| 24        | Odisha                    | 3550.00                             | 101132.00                           | 28646.00                            | 48165.00                            | 43956.00                            |
| 25        | Punjab                    | 2728.80                             | 3562.44                             | 5892.98                             | 4769.99                             | 5692.63                             |
| 26        | Rajasthan                 | 7456.8                              | 8533.56                             | 8610.59                             | 12932.85                            | 10744.8                             |
| 27        | Sikkim                    | 234.09                              | 0.00                                | 171.64                              | 106.04                              | 183.98                              |
| 28        | Tamil Nadu                | 35.40                               | 44.64                               | 2.19                                | 0.00                                | 0.00                                |
| 29        | Telangana                 | 3908.38                             | 5858.07                             | 5350.68                             | 9162.51                             | 12651.16                            |
| 30        | Tripura                   | 653.81                              | 217.89                              | 564.34                              | 582.80                              | 821.86                              |
| 31        | Uttar Pradesh             | 6506.95                             | 7883.07                             | 14948.53                            | 12644.94                            | 22676.03                            |
| 32        | Uttarakhand               | 3474.00                             | 2715.00                             | 3222.00                             | 2597.00                             | 2852.00                             |
| 33        | West Bengal               | 0.00                                | 268.65                              | 97.71                               | 122.42                              | 282.81                              |
|           | Total                     | 73556.43                            | 166927.96                           | 160960.01                           | 186652.35                           | 188587.53                           |