Lok Sabha Question No. 2780 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Inventory of Trees
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: K.R.P. PRABAKARAN, C.S. PUTTARAJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  2780

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2016

## Inventory of Trees

## 2780.   SHRI K.R.P. PRABAKARAN: SHRI C.S. PUTTA RAJU:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal to conduct tree census in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI)  conduct  regular  inventory  of  trees  in forests and outside forests in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  reports  of  the  FSI  has  shown  any  decline  in  the  number  of  trees gradually;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (e) the steps taken to plant more trees in the country in coordination with the State Governments?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI   PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a)   There is no plan to conduct tree census in the country.
- (b) Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI)  conducts  regular  inventory  of  forest  and  trees  outside forests under its National Forest Inventory Programme. The Inventory is conducted by selecting 60 districts randomly on a cycle of two years. On the basis of data collected from these  60  districts,  growing  stock  estimates  are  generated  at  National  and  State levels and the results are published in 'India State of Forest Report (ISFR)' on biennial basis. The information as per ISFR 2011, ISFR 2013 and 2015 is given in Annexure.
- (c) & (d)   The number of trees are increasing marginally inside as well as outside the forest areas. As per ISFR 2015, there is an increase of about 3.3 percent in forests and 6.7 percent in trees outside forests areas as compared to ISFR 2013. The State-wise details are not available.
- (e)   Afforestation Programme is taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Green India Mission (GIM), Mahatma

Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)  which from 2015-16 has been amalgamated  as  the  Watershed  Development  Component  of  the  'Pradhan  Mantri Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)'.  National  Bamboo  Mission  (NBM)  and  under Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and  Planning  Authority  (CAMPA), different State Plan/ Non- Plan Schemes including Externally Aided Projects.

National Afforestation Programme (NAP) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  afforestation  and  tree plantation and eco-restoration of degraded forests and adjoining areas in the country. The scheme is being implemented through a decentralized mechanism of State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at Forest Division level  and Joint  Forest  Management Committees (JFMCs) at village level. An amount of Rs. 3614.13 crore has been released to the States to treat an area of around about 21.35 million hectare, since inception of the Scheme in 2000-02.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2780 due for answer on 15.03.2016 regarding 'Inventory of Trees'.

## Estimated  number  of  trees  in  Forests  and  Trees  Outside  Forests  as  per  India State of Forest Reports (ISFR).

(in million)

| ISFR 2011   | ISFR 2011   | ISFR 2013   | ISFR 2013   | ISFR 2015   | ISFR 2015   |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Forest      | TOF         | Forest      | TOF         | Forest      | TOF         |
| *           | 5068        | 13062       | 5080        | 13495       | 5418        |

*    Estimated stems for forest for ISFR 2011 is not available as forest inventory was not conducted during 2008-10.