Forest cover increases by 5516 square kilometre between ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021

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Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per latest ISFR 2021, the change in forest cover recorded in the hill districts of each of the 13 Himalayan States in the last ten years is given in Annexure I.

The details of State wise forest cover from ISFR 2017 to ISFR 2021 are given in Annexure-II. Some States have shown increase in forest cover while few others have shown decline in forest cover. However, there is overall increase in forest cover of the country by 5516 square kilometre between ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021.  The increase in forest cover may be attributed to conservation measures, afforestation activities, enhanced protection measures in plantation as well as in traditional forest areas, expansion of Tree Outside Forest.  The decrease in forest cover may be attributed to short rotational plantation, biotic pressure, clearance in encroached area, developmental activities etc.

Forests are an invaluable resource to the country providing essential feeder services. Forests not only host villages in their fringe areas but neighboring villages areas are also dependent upon them as a resource base for several forest products like timber, fuel-wood, medicinal plants, food, non-timber forest products (NTFPs).  Forests provide a number of products and services and contribute to the national economy.

Forests also provide services such as bio-diversity conservation, watershed protection and carbon sequestration.  Decline in forest cover adversely impacts on ecology and economy of the area concerned.

In order to restore ecosystems and increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation and tree plantation activities are undertaken by States/UTs. The Ministry provides financial assistance to States/UTs under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes namely Green India Mission to support and supplement the efforts of States and Union Territories.

The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages creation of 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25 under the funds available under National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA). The Nagar Van Yojana aims to enhance the green cover in the urban and peri-urban areas including biological diversity, provide ecological benefits and improve the quality of life of city dwellers.

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA fund) are being utilized by States/UTs for taking up compensatory afforestation as per approved Annual Plan of Operations for compensating the loss of forest & tree cover due to diversion of forest land for developmental projects as per provisions of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 (CAF Act) and CAF Rules, 2018.

Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes and schemes of line Ministry such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry etc. and under schemes of State Government/UT Administration through different departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc. The multi departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving and enhancing forest cover in the country.

 

Annexure-I

Decadal change in the Forest Cover in the Hill Districts of Himalayan States of India

(Area in square kilometre)

S. No.

State

No. of Hill Districts

Geographical Area

Total Forest Cover          (ISFR 2011)

Total Forest Cover          (ISFR 2021)

Change in Forest Cover w.r.t 2011

1

Arunachal Pradesh*

16

                 83,743

                 67,410

                66,431

-979

2

Assam

3

                 19,295

                 12,985

                12,900

-85

3

Himachal Pradesh

12

                 55,673

                 14,679

                15,443

764

4

Manipur

9

                 22,327

                 17,090

                16,598

-492

5

Meghalaya

7

                 22,429

                 17,275

                17,046

-229

6

Mizoram

8

                 21,081

                 19,117

                17,820

-1,297

7

Nagaland**

11

                 16,579

                 13,318

                12,251

-1,067

8

Sikkim

4

                   7,096

                    3,359

                   3,341

-18

9

Tripura

4

                 10,486

                    7,977

                   7,722

-255

10

Uttarakhand

13

                 53,483

                 24,496

                24,305

-191

11

West Bengal

1

                   3,149

                    2,289

                   2,350

61

12

Jammu & Kashmir***

22

             2,22,236

 

                 16,056

                21,387

5,331

13

Ladakh

2

                    6,483

                   2,272

-4,211

Total

112

5,37,577

              2,22,534

             2,19,866

-2,668

* In ISFR 2011 Arunachal Pradesh had only 13 hill districts

     

** In ISFR 2011 Nagaland had only 8 hill districts

     

*** ISFR 2019 onwards J&K was divided into two UTs , J & K and Ladakh

   

 

Annexure-II

                          (Area in Square Kilometre)

 

States/UTs

Geographical area

 Forest Cover

Change in Forest

Cover between ISFR 2017 & ISFR 2019 (b-a)

Change in Forest Cover between ISFR 2019 & ISFR 2021  (c-b)

 

 

ISFR 2017 (a)

ISFR 2019

(b)

ISFR 2021

(c)

 

 

 

 
     

 

 

Andhra Pradesh

1,62,968

28,147

29,137

      29,784

990

647

 

 

Arunachal Pradesh

83,743

66,964

66,688

      66,431

-276

-257

 

 

Assam

78,438

28,105

28,327

      28,312

222

-15

 

 

Bihar

94,163

7,299

7,306

        7,381

7

75

 

 

Chhattisgarh

1,35,192

55,547

55,611

      55,717

64

106

 

 

Delhi

1,483

192.41

195.44

           195

3.03

-0.44

 

 

Goa

3,702

2,229

2,237

        2,244

8

7

 

 

Gujarat

1,96,244

14,757

14,857

      14,926

100

69

 

 

Haryana

44,212

1,588

1,602

        1,603

14

1

 

 

Himachal Pradesh

55,673

15,100

15,434

      15,443

334

9

 

 

Jharkhand

79,716

23,553

23,611

      23,721

58

110

 

 

Karnataka

1,91,791

37,550

38,575

      38,730

1025

155

 

 

Kerala

38,852

20,321

21,144

      21,253

823

109

 

 

Madhya Pradesh

3,08,252

77,414

77,482

      77,493

68

11

 

 

Maharashtra

3,07,713

50,682

50,778

      50,798

96

20

 

 

Manipur

22,327

17,346

16,847

      16,598

-499

-249

 

 

Meghalaya

22,429

17,146

17,119

      17,046

-27

-73

 

 

Mizoram

21,081

18,186

18,006

      17,820

-180

-186

 

 

Nagaland

16,579

12,489

12,486

      12,251

-3

-235

 

 

Odisha

1,55,707

51,345

51,619

      52,156

274

537

 

 

Punjab

50,362

1,837

1,849

        1,847

12

-2

 

 

Rajasthan

3,42,239

16,572

16,630

      16,655

58

25

 

 

Sikkim

7,096

3,344

3,342

        3,341

-2

-1

 

 

Tamil Nadu

1,30,060

26,281

26,364

      26,419

83

55

 

 

Telangana

1,12,077

20,419

20,582

      21,214

163

632

 

 

Tripura

10,486

7,726

7,726

        7,722

0

-4

 

 

Uttar Pradesh

2,40,928

14,679

14,806

      14,818

127

12

 

 

Uttarakhand

53,483

24,295

24,303

      24,305

8

2

 

 

West Bengal

88,752

16,847

16,902

      16,832

55

-70

 

 

A&N Islands

8,249

6,742

6,743

        6,744

1

1

 

 

Chandigarh

114

21.56

22.03

22.88

0.47

0.85

 

 

Dadra & Nagar Haveli #

491

207

207

227.75

0

0.26

 

 

Daman & Diu #

111

20.49

20.49

0

 

 

Jammu & Kashmir*

2,22,236

23,241

21,358

      21,387

-1883

29

 

 

Ladakh

0

2,254

        2,272

2254

18

 

 

Lakshadweep

30

27.10

27.10

27.10

0

0

 

 

Puducherry

490

53.67

52.41

53.30

-1.26

0.89

 

 

Grand Total

32,87,469

7,08,273

7,12,249

7,13,789

3,976

1,540

 

 

 

There is overall increase in forest cover of the country by 5516 (3976 square kilometre + 1540 square kilometre)

between  ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021

 

* From ISFR 2019 onwards Jammu & Kashmir was divided into two UTs viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

 

 

From ISFR 2021  onwards Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have been combined into one UT.