Lok Sabha Question No. 1177 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Loss due to Forest Fires
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Raja Ram Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1177

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025

## Loss due to Forest Fires

## 1177.    SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH:

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

- (a) the response of the Government to the satellite data revealing massive forest loss in Manipur during wildfire near Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh and ongoing forest fires across the country during the last five years;
- (b) the  action  taken  by  the  Government  following  National  Green  Tribunal  (NGT) directive highlighting Uttarakhand's acute lack of firefighting infrastructure including no protective gear, vehicles, communication systems, and only one guard per 2,448 hectares, despite 1,276 fires in 2024;
- (c) whether a real-time nationwide remote-sensing and early-alert mechanism has been implemented across all high-risk States such as Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, if so, the details thereof along with State and district-wise list of forest burnt during the last ten years;
- (d) the  reasons behind  not  enforcing  robust  capacity building, equipment provisioning, and professional staffing by the Government as recommended by NGT in Uttarakhand; and
- (e) the details of quarterly data on forest fires, loss areas, response times, and expenditures for last five years?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) Forest fires in India are a recurring challenge arising from both natural causes such as high temperatures, prolonged dry spells and lightning, as well as human-induced factors including shifting cultivation, deliberate burning for fodder and accidental ignition. These  risks  are  further  aggravated  by  rising  temperatures,  erratic  rainfall  patterns  and increased  accumulation  of  dry  fuel  load,  particularly  in  hill  regions  and  dry  deciduous forests. Forest protection, including prevention and management of forest fires, primarily rests with the concerned State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.

The  Ministry  monitors  forest  fire  incidents  through  the  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI), Dehradun, which issues satellite-based Pre-Forest Fire Alerts, Near Real-Time Forest Fire Alerts  and  Large  Forest  Fire  Alerts  to  the  State  Forest  Departments.  The  Ministry  also supports the States in taking timely mitigation, control and post-fire management measures. Further, a real-time nationwide remote-sensing and alert system has been operationalised by FSI for all States, including high-risk regions such as Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh  and Uttarakhand. FSI also conducts  biennial forest resource assessments under the ISFR series and has carried out a national-level burnt area assessment for the 2023-24 forest fire season, the details of which are placed at Annexure-I .

To  strengthen  forest  fire  prevention  and  management,  the  Ministry  has  taken  several measures including preparation of the National Action Plan on Forest Fire, facilitation of State/UT-level  Action  Plans,  and  provision  of  early-warning  alerts  through  FSI.  In coordination  with  NDMA  and  NDRF,  the  Ministry  has  trained  three  specialized  teams comprising 150 personnel for managing large forest fire incidents. The Ministry supplements State efforts through technical support, early-warning systems, capacity-building initiatives and financial assistance.

The  Ministry  provides  financial  support  to  States/UTs  through  the  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme on Forest Fire Prevention and Management (CSS-FFPM), under which funds are released for creation and  maintenance  of  fire  lines,  engagement  of  fire watchers, construction of water storage structures, procurement of fire-fighting equipment, awareness activities and restoration of burnt areas. The details of financial assistance under CSS-FFPM released to States/UTs, along with forest fire detections for the last five forest fire seasons (November 2020 to June 2025), are placed at Annexure-II .

## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1177 DUE FOR REPLY ON 08.12.2025 REGARDING 'LOSS DUE TO FOREST FIRES' BY SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH.

The State/UT wise burnt area assessment during the forest fire seasons November 2023 to June 2024.

| Sl.No.   | State/UT                         | Total Burnt Area in Square Kilometre   |
|----------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andaman& Nicobar Islands         | 0.00                                   |
| 2.       | Andhra Pradesh                   | 5,286.76                               |
| 3.       | Arunachal Pradesh                | 126.03                                 |
| 4.       | Assam                            | 419.20                                 |
| 5.       | Bihar                            | 682.74                                 |
| 6.       | Chandigarh                       | 0.00                                   |
| 7.       | Chhattisgarh                     | 3,812.28                               |
| 8.       | Dadra& Nagar Haveli & Daman& Diu | 0.00                                   |
| 9.       | Delhi                            | 0.00                                   |
| 10.      | Goa                              | 0.45                                   |
| 11.      | Gujarat                          | 408.61                                 |
| 12.      | Haryana                          | 44.63                                  |
| 13.      | Himachal Pradesh                 | 783.11                                 |
| 14.      | Jammu &Kashmir                   | 438.86                                 |
| 15.      | Jharkhand                        | 1,086.46                               |
| 16.      | Karnataka                        | 2,088.35                               |
| 17.      | Kerala                           | 208.96                                 |
| 18.      | Ladakh                           | 0.00                                   |
| 19.      | Lakshadweep                      | 0.00                                   |
| 20.      | Madhya Pradesh                   | 3,172.13                               |
| 21.      | Maharashtra                      | 4,095.04                               |
| 22.      | Manipur                          | 285.20                                 |
| 23.      | Meghalaya                        | 463.95                                 |
| 24.      | Mizoram                          | 243.76                                 |
| 25.      | Nagaland                         | 161.77                                 |
| 26.      | Odisha                           | 2,463.74                               |
| 27.      | Puducherry                       | 0.00                                   |
| 28.      | Punjab                           | 40.55                                  |
| 29.      | Rajasthan                        | 424.47                                 |
| 30.      | Sikkim                           | 2.08                                   |
| 31.      | Tamil Nadu                       | 1,322.74                               |
| 32.      | Telangana                        | 3,983.28                               |
| 33.      | Tripura                          | 190.47                                 |
| 34.      | Uttar Pradesh                    | 257.88                                 |
| 35.      | Uttarakhand                      | 1,808.90                               |
| 36.      | West Bengal                      | 259.93                                 |
| Total    | Total                            | 34,562.33                              |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPY TO PART OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1177 DUE FOR REPLY ON 08.12.2025 REGARDING 'LOSS DUE TO FOREST FIRES' BY SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH.

## Details of financial assistance under CSS-FFPM released to States/UTs in the last five financial years

(Amount in Crores)

| Financial Year   |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Fund released    |     32.47 |     34.26 |     28.25 |     39.18 |     30.76 |

## Details of Forest fire detections for the last five forest fire seasons  (November 2020 to June 2025)

| Forest Fire Seasons    | November 2020 to June 2021   | November 2021 to June 2022   | November 2022 to June 2023   | November 2023 to June 2024   | November 2024 to June 2025   |
|------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| Forest Fire Detections | 3,45,989                     | 2,23,333                     | 2,12,249                     | 2,03,544                     | 2,38,309                     |