Lok Sabha Question No. 1098 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Check on Illegal Felling of Trees in Forest Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Smt. Hema Malini

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1098 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## Check on Illegal Felling of Trees in Forest Areas

## 1098. SMT. HEMA MALINI:

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

- (a) whether the forest area has increased in several States on the one hand and the forest area has shrunk in some States on the other hand during the last few years, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the illegal felling of trees is the main reason for shrinking of forest areas in several States;
- (c) the details of the cases of illegal felling of trees in forest areas during the last five years along with the details of the action taken in this regard, State-wise; and
- (d) whether the extant law is not capable in checking the illegal felling of trees in forest areas and if so, whether there is any proposal to amend the law?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) 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 trend for the last three ISFRs shows an increase in the forest cover of the country. The  forest  cover  has  increased  by  5,517  square  kilometer  in  ISFR  2021 assessment as compared to ISFR 2017.

An increase in the forest cover has been observed in most of the States/UTs, which may be attributed to better conservation measures, protection, afforestation activities, tree plantation drives and agroforestry. In few States/UTs, the forest cover has declined which may be due to factors such as shifting cultivation, felling of trees, natural calamities, anthropogenic pressure and developmental activities.

The State/UT wise details of forest cover and change between the ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021 and are given in Annexure-I.

- (c) & (d) The Protection and management of forests is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Government/UT Administration. The particulars regarding the illegal  felling  of  trees  are  maintained  by  concerned  State  Government/UT Administration. To prevent the illegal felling, appropriate legal provisions are available under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and the  Local Forest Acts/Rules.    Further,  in  order  to  prevent  illegal  felling,

regular patrolling is done by the field staff of the State Forest Department. The Joint Forest Management Committees have also been established at the village levels involving the local communities  for protection, conservation and management of the forests.

*****

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1098 due for answer on 02.12.2024 regarding 'Check on Illegal Felling of Trees in Forest Areas'

## States/UTs wise details of change in Forest Cover from ISFR 2017 to ISFR 2021

## (Area in square kilometre)

| State/UT                             | Forest Cover   | Forest Cover   | Change (2017-2021)   |
|--------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------------|
| State/UT                             | ISFR 2017      | ISFR 2021      | Change (2017-2021)   |
| Andhra Pradesh                       | 28,147.00      | 29,784.00      | 1,637.00             |
| Telangana                            | 20,419.00      | 21,214.00      | 795.00               |
| Arunachal Pradesh                    | 66,964.00      | 66,431.00      | -533.00              |
| Assam                                | 28,105.00      | 28,312.00      | 207.00               |
| Bihar                                | 7,299.00       | 7,381.00       | 82.00                |
| Chhattisgarh                         | 55,547.00      | 55,717.00      | 170.00               |
| Delhi                                | 192.41         | 195.00         | 2.59                 |
| Goa                                  | 2,229.00       | 2,244.00       | 15.00                |
| Gujarat                              | 14,757.00      | 14,926.00      | 169.00               |
| Haryana                              | 1,588.00       | 1,603.00       | 15.00                |
| Himachal Pradesh                     | 15,100.00      | 15,443.00      | 343.00               |
| Jharkhand                            | 23,553.00      | 23,721.00      | 168.00               |
| Karnataka                            | 37,550.00      | 38,730.00      | 1,180.00             |
| Kerala                               | 20,321.00      | 21,253.00      | 932.00               |
| Madhya Pradesh                       | 77,414.00      | 77,493.00      | 79.00                |
| Maharashtra                          | 50,682.00      | 50,798.00      | 116.00               |
| Manipur                              | 17,346.00      | 16,598.00      | -748.00              |
| Meghalaya                            | 17,146.00      | 17,046.00      | -100.00              |
| Mizoram                              | 18,186.00      | 17,820.00      | -366.00              |
| Nagaland                             | 12,489.00      | 12,251.00      | -238.00              |
| Odisha                               | 51,345.00      | 52,156.00      | 811.00               |
| Punjab                               | 1,837.00       | 1,847.00       | 10.00                |
| Rajasthan                            | 16,572.00      | 16,655.00      | 83.00                |
| Sikkim                               | 3,344.00       | 3,341.00       | -3.00                |
| Tamil Nadu                           | 26,281.00      | 26,419.00      | 138.00               |
| Tripura                              | 7,726.00       | 7,722.00       | -4.00                |
| Uttar Pradesh                        | 14,679.00      | 14,818.00      | 139.00               |
| Uttarakhand                          | 24,295.00      | 24,305.00      | 10.00                |
| West Bengal                          | 16,847.00      | 16,832.00      | -15.00               |
| Jammu &Kashmir                       |                | 21,387.00      |                      |
| Ladakh                               | 23,241.00      | 2,272.00       | 418                  |
| Andaman Nicobar Islands              | 6,742.00       | 6,744.00       | 2.00                 |
| Chandigarh                           | 21.56          | 22.88          | 1.32                 |
| Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 227.49         | 227.75         | 0.26                 |
| Lakshadweep                          | 27.10          | 27.10          | 0.00                 |
| Puducherry                           | 53.67          | 53.30          | -0.37                |
| Total                                | 7,08,273.23    | 7,13,789.03    | 5,515.80             |