Lok Sabha Question No. 983 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Forest Cover in the Country
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri K Radhakrishnan, Shri Imran Masood

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 983

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## Forest Cover in the Country

## 983. SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN: SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

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

- (a) the details of forest cover in the country during the last five years, year-wise and Statewise;
- (b) whether loss of tree cover increase the emission of carbon dioxide, if so, the details of carbon dioxide emission caused due to tree cover loss in the country during the last five years;
- (c) the justifications for the contradictions between India State of Forest Report 2021 and Global Forest Watch Data; and
- (d) whether the Government plan to amend the Forest Conservation Act (1980) again, given the severe criticism for the recent amendment for removing protections from deemed and community forests?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (d) Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially. As per the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometer which is 21.71% of the geographical area of the country. The State/UT wise details of forest cover in the country during the last five years are given in Annexure .

The forest and tree cover has increased by 7449 square kilometer as per the assessment in ISFR 2021 in comparison to assessment in ISFR 2017.  As there is no loss of forest and tree cover, the question of increase in emission of carbon dioxide due to loss of forest & tree cover does not arise.

The contradiction between India State of Forest Report 2021 and Global Forest Watch data may be due to difference in the definition of forest cover and tree cover adopted in these two reports.

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, was amended through a gazette notification dated 4 th August,  2023  and  the  revised  provisions  came  into  effect  from  1 st   December,  2023.The amendments are being implemented to promote the conservation, management and restoration of forests, support ecologically sustainable development, ensure ecological security, preserve cultural and traditional values related to forests and address economic needs while advancing carbon neutrality.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 983 due for answer on 02.12.2024 regarding 'Forest Cover in the Country'

## State/UT wise details of Forest Cover from ISFR 2017 to ISFR 2021

(Area in square kilometre)

| State/UT                            | Geographical Area   | ISFR 2017   | ISFR 2019   | ISFR 2021   |
|-------------------------------------|---------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Andhra Pradesh                      | 1,62,968            | 28,147      | 29,137      | 29,784      |
| Arunachal Pradesh                   | 83,743              | 66,964      | 66,688      | 66,431      |
| Assam                               | 78,438              | 28,105      | 28,327      | 28,312      |
| Bihar                               | 94,163              | 7,299       | 7,306       | 7,381       |
| Chhattisgarh                        | 1,35,192            | 55,547      | 55,611      | 55,717      |
| Delhi                               | 1,483               | 192.41      | 195.44      | 195         |
| Goa                                 | 3,702               | 2,229       | 2,237       | 2,244       |
| Gujarat                             | 1,96,244            | 14,757      | 14,857      | 14,926      |
| Haryana                             | 44,212              | 1,588       | 1,602       | 1,603       |
| Himachal Pradesh                    | 55,673              | 15,100      | 15,434      | 15,443      |
| Jharkhand                           | 79,716              | 23,553      | 23,611      | 23,721      |
| Karnataka                           | 1,91,791            | 37,550      | 38,575      | 38,730      |
| Kerala                              | 38,852              | 20,321      | 21,144      | 21,253      |
| Madhya Pradesh                      | 3,08,252            | 77,414      | 77,482      | 77,493      |
| Maharashtra                         | 3,07,713            | 50,682      | 50,778      | 50,798      |
| Manipur                             | 22,327              | 17,346      | 16,847      | 16,598      |
| Meghalaya                           | 22,429              | 17,146      | 17,119      | 17,046      |
| Mizoram                             | 21,081              | 18,186      | 18,006      | 17,820      |
| Nagaland                            | 16,579              | 12,489      | 12,486      | 12,251      |
| Odisha                              | 1,55,707            | 51,345      | 51,619      | 52,156      |
| Punjab                              | 50,362              | 1,837       | 1,849       | 1,847       |
| Rajasthan                           | 3,42,239            | 16,572      | 16,630      | 16,655      |
| Sikkim                              | 7,096               | 3,344       | 3,342       | 3,341       |
| Tamil Nadu                          | 1,30,060            | 26,281      | 26,364      | 26,419      |
| Telangana                           | 1,12,077            | 20,419      | 20,582      | 21,214      |
| Tripura                             | 10,486              | 7,726       | 7,726       | 7,722       |
| Uttar Pradesh                       | 2,40,928            | 14,679      | 14,806      | 14,818      |
| Uttarakhand                         | 53,483              | 24,295      | 24,303      | 24,305      |
| West Bengal                         | 88,752              | 16,847      | 16,902      | 16,832      |
| A &NIslands                         | 8,249               | 6,742       | 6,743       | 6,744       |
| Chandigarh                          | 114                 | 21.56       | 22.03       | 22.88       |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman& Diu | 602                 | 227.49      | 227.49      | 227.75      |
| Jammu & Kashmir **                  | 2,22,236            | 23,241      | 21,358      | 21,287      |
| Ladakh                              |                     |             | 2,254       | 2,272       |
| Lakshadweep                         | 30                  | 27.10       | 27.10       | 27.10       |
| Puducherry                          | 490                 | 53.67       | 52.41       | 53.30       |
| Grand Total                         | 3,287,469           | 7,08,273    | 7,12,249    | 713,789     |