Lok Sabha Question No. 200 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-01
Subject: Decline in Forest Area in Hingoli, Maharashtra
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Aashtikar Patil Nagesh Bapurao

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  200

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2025

## Decline in Forest Area in Hingoli, Maharashtra

## 200. SHRI AASHTIKAR PATIL NAGESH BAPURAO:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the forest cover in Hingoli district of Maharashtra has been declining continuously during the past few years;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  approved  any  new  schemes  for  reforestation, afforestation and social forestry in the district; and
- (c) the  details  of  financial  assistance  sanctioned  or  proposed  for  Hingoli  under  these schemes?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)    Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI),  Dehradun,  an  organization  under  the  Ministry  of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, carries out the assessment of forest and tree cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR).  The  forest  cover  assessment  is  a  wall-to-wall  mapping  exercise  based  on  remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification and field data from  the National  Forest Inventory.

As per ISFR 2023, the total forest cover of the Hingoli district of Maharashtra is 111.73 square kilometer which is 2.31% of the total geographical area of the district.  The total forest cover of Hingoli district between ISFR 2021 to ISFR 2023 decreased by 1.55 square kilometer.

The protection, conservation and management of forest is primarily the responsibility of the State  Governments/Union  Territory  Administrations.  There  are  legal  frameworks  for  the protection and management of forests of the country which include, the Indian Forest Act, 1927; the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980; the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the State Forest Acts and Rules.  Further, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issues advisories to State Governments/UT Administrations to protect forest and trees.

In  addition,  the  Ministry  provides  technical  and  financial  support  to  the  States/UTs  for protection, conservation and management of forests in the country. This includes funds from the Central Government under various schemes and programmes such as the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FFPM), and Nagar

Van  Yojana  (NVY).  Afforestation  is also carried out by the States/UTs under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).

The  Ministry  does  not  provide  district-specific  financial  assistance;  financial  support  is released to States/UTs as a whole. In this regard, the Ministry has released an amount of ₹14.25 crore to the State of Maharashtra under the FFPM Scheme during the financial years 2020-21 to 2024-25. Under CAMPA, an amount of ₹3323.92 crore has been approved for Maharashtra during the same period. Further, under GIM, a total of ₹10.30 crore has been released since the financial year 2018-19 for implementing GIM activities over an area of 6766 hectares as per the approved Annual Plans of Operation.

The funds provided under these schemes support the efforts of States and Union Territories to enhance forest and tree cover through ecological restoration measures such as afforestation within and outside forest  areas,  forest landscape  restoration,  habitat improvement,  soil  and water conservation, protection activities, and other related interventions.

A plantation campaign ' एक पेड़ माँ क े नाम #Plant4Mother' has been launched on the occasion of World Environment Day 2024 and in the current year also to undertake plantation activities across  the  country.    This  campaign  follows  the  'Whole  of  Government'  and  'Whole  of Society' approach with participation of all stakeholders for increasing the green cover in the country. The campaign has contributed large scale plantation aiding the enhancement of green cover in the country.

*****