Forest Survey of India Reveals Updated Forest Cover Figures in Biennial Assessment

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) published in 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 State/UTs wise details of forest cover as per ISFR, since 2019 are given in Annexure.

The tree cover increased by 721 square kilometer during 2019 to 2021. There is no loss of tree cover during 2019 and 2021. Therefore, the question of increase in emission of carbon dioxide due to loss of tree cover does not arise.

The contradictions between India State of Forest Report 2021 and Global Forest Watch data may be because of the differences in the definition of forest cover and tree cover adopted in these two reports.

At present there in no plan to amend the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhniyam, 1980.

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 132 due for answer on 22.07.2024 regarding ‘Forest Cover in the country’

States/UTs wise details of change in Forest Cover from ISFR 2019 to ISFR 2021

                                                                                                                     (Area in square kilometre)

Sl. No. States/UTs ISFR 2019 ISFR 2021
1 Andhra Pradesh 29,137 29,784
2 Arunachal Pradesh 66,688 66,431
3 Assam 28,327 28,312
4 Bihar 7,306 7,381
5 Chhattisgarh 55,611 55,717
6 Delhi 195 195
7 Goa 2,237 2,244
8 Gujarat 14,857 14,926
9 Haryana 1,602 1,603
10 Himachal Pradesh 15,434 15,443
11 Jammu & Kashmir 23,612* 21,387
12 Jharkhand 23,611 23,721
13 Karnataka 38,575 38,730
14 Kerala 21,144 21,253
15 Madhya Pradesh 77,482 77,493
16 Maharashtra 50,778 50,798
17 Manipur 16,847 16,598
18 Meghalaya 17,119 17,046
19 Mizoram 18,006 17,820
20 Nagaland 12,486 12,251
21 Odisha 51,619 52,156
22 Punjab 1,849 1,847
23 Rajasthan 16,630 16,655
24 Sikkim 3,342 3,341
25 Tamil Nadu 26,364 26,419
26 Telangana 20,582 21,214
27 Tripura 7,726 7,722
28 Uttar Pradesh 14,806 14,818
29 Uttarakhand 24,303 24,305
30 West Bengal 16,902 16,832
31 A&N Islands 6,743 6,744
32 Chandigarh 22 23
33 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and

Daman & Diu

227 228
34 Ladakh * 2,272
35 Lakshadweep 27 27
36 Puducherry 52 53
  Grand Total 7,12,249 7,13,789

 

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