Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in 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 National Forest Inventory. As per latest ISFR 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 current assessment shows that the total forest cover of the country has increased by 1540 square kilometre, tree cover has increased by 721 square kilometer and total forest and tree cover has increased by 2261 square kilometre at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2019.The details of State and Union Territory wise forest cover are given at Annexure I. The details of increase in forest cover during the last three years are given at Annexure II.
To increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation programmes are taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry such as National Mission for a Green India (GIM). GIM is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation activities in the forest and non- forest areas. GIM activities were started in the FY 2015-16. So, far a sum of Rs. 681.92 Crores have been released to fifteen States and one union territory for creation of plantation over an area of 128383 hectares. The State-wise detail of funds released during the year 2022-23 till date under GIM are given at Annexure III.
The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period of 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to significantly enhance the tree outside forests and green cover, enhancement of biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from improving quality of life of city dwellers with the funds under the National Fund of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).The Ministry has approved 270 projects under Nagar Van Yojana with the total cost of Rs.238.64 Crore till date, which includes an amount of Rs. 57.14 Crore for creation of 97 Nagar Van/Vatika during 2022-23. The State wise-details of fund released under Nagar Van Yojana are enclosed at Annexure-IV
Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Compensatory Afforestation Funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Afforestation activities are also taken up under various schemes of State Government /UT Administration. In addition, plantations are also done by various departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc.
The multi departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving environment by addressing the problem of deforestation, besides keeping the pace of development, which is evident from the fact that the forest cover has stabilized and has been constantly increasing over the years. As per the latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country has increased by 12,294 square kilometres in the last seven years (ISFR 2015 to ISFR 2021).
Annexure-I
State and Union Territory wise details of forest cover as per ISFR 2021
(Area in square Kilometer)
|
S.
No.
|
State/UT
|
Geo-
graphical Area (GA)
|
Total Forest Cover
|
Percentage of Geographical area
|
|
1
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
1,62,968
|
29,784
|
18.28
|
|
2
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
83,743
|
66,431
|
79.33
|
|
3
|
Assam
|
78,438
|
28,312
|
36.09
|
|
4
|
Bihar
|
94,163
|
7,381
|
7.84
|
|
5
|
Chhattisgarh
|
1,35,192
|
55,717
|
41.21
|
|
6
|
Delhi
|
1,483
|
195.00
|
13.15
|
|
7
|
Goa
|
3,702
|
2,244
|
60.62
|
|
8
|
Gujarat
|
1,96,244
|
14,926
|
7.61
|
|
9
|
Haryana
|
44,212
|
1,603
|
3.63
|
|
10
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
55,673
|
15,443
|
27.73
|
|
11
|
Jharkhand
|
79,716
|
23,721
|
29.76
|
|
12
|
Karnataka
|
1,91,791
|
38,730
|
20.19
|
|
13
|
Kerala
|
38,852
|
21,253
|
54.70
|
|
14
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
3,08,252
|
77,493
|
25.14
|
|
15
|
Maharashtra
|
3,07,713
|
50,798
|
16.51
|
|
16
|
Manipur
|
22,327
|
16,598
|
74.34
|
|
17
|
Meghalaya
|
22,429
|
17,046
|
76.00
|
|
18
|
Mizoram
|
21,081
|
17,820
|
84.53
|
|
19
|
Nagaland
|
16,579
|
12,251
|
73.90
|
|
20
|
Odisha
|
1,55,707
|
52,156
|
33.50
|
|
21
|
Punjab
|
50,362
|
1,847
|
3.67
|
|
22
|
Rajasthan
|
3,42,239
|
16,655
|
4.87
|
|
23
|
Sikkim
|
7,096
|
3,341
|
47.08
|
|
24
|
Tamil Nadu
|
1,30,060
|
26,419
|
20.31
|
|
25
|
Telangana
|
1,12,077
|
21,214
|
18.93
|
|
26
|
Tripura
|
10,486
|
7,722
|
73.64
|
|
27
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
2,40,928
|
14,818
|
6.15
|
|
28
|
Uttarakhand
|
53,483
|
24,305
|
45.44
|
|
29
|
West Bengal
|
88,752
|
16,832
|
18.96
|
|
30
|
A & N Islands
|
8,249
|
6,744
|
81.75
|
|
31
|
Chandigarh
|
114
|
22.88
|
20.07
|
|
32
|
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman
& Diu
|
602
|
227.75
|
37.83
|
|
33
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
54,624
|
21,387
|
39.15
|
|
34
|
Ladakh
|
1,68,055
|
2,272
|
1.35
|
|
35
|
Lakshadweep
|
30
|
27.10
|
90.33
|
|
36
|
Puducherry
|
490
|
53.30
|
10.88
|
|
Total
|
32,87,469
|
7,13,789
|
21.71
|
Annexure-II
States/UTs details of increase in Forest Cover between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021
(Area in square kilometer)
|
S. No.
|
States/UTs
|
Geographical area
|
ISFR
|
ISFR
|
Increase in Forest Cover between ISFR 2021
& ISFR 2019
(b-a)
|
|
2019
(a)
|
2021
(b)
|
|
1
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
1,62,968
|
29,137
|
29,784
|
647
|
|
2
|
Telangana
|
1,12,077
|
20,582
|
21,214
|
632
|
|
3
|
Odisha
|
1,55,707
|
51,619
|
52,156
|
537
|
|
4
|
Karnataka
|
1,91,791
|
38,575
|
38,730
|
155
|
|
5
|
Jharkhand
|
79,716
|
23,611
|
23,721
|
110
|
|
6
|
Kerala
|
38,852
|
21,144
|
21,253
|
109
|
|
7
|
Chhattisgarh
|
1,35,192
|
55,611
|
55,717
|
106
|
|
8
|
Bihar
|
94,163
|
7,306
|
7,381
|
75
|
|
9
|
Gujarat
|
1,96,244
|
14,857
|
14,926
|
69
|
|
10
|
Tamil Nadu
|
1,30,060
|
26,364
|
26,419
|
55
|
|
11
|
Rajasthan
|
3,42,239
|
16,630
|
16,655
|
25
|
|
12
|
Jammu & Kashmir*
|
2,22,236
|
21,358
|
21,387
|
29
|
|
13
|
Ladakh
|
2,254
|
2,272
|
18
|
|
14
|
Maharashtra
|
3,07,713
|
50,778
|
50,798
|
20
|
|
15
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
2,40,928
|
14,806
|
14,818
|
12
|
|
16
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
3,08,252
|
77,482
|
77,493
|
11
|
|
17
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
55,673
|
15,434
|
15,443
|
9
|
|
18
|
Goa
|
3,702
|
2,237
|
2,244
|
7
|
|
19
|
Uttarakhand
|
53,483
|
24,303
|
24,305
|
2
|
|
20
|
Haryana
|
44,212
|
1,602
|
1,603
|
1
|
|
21
|
A&N Islands
|
8,249
|
6,743
|
6,744
|
1
|
|
22
|
Puducherry
|
490
|
52.41
|
53.3
|
0.89
|
|
23
|
Chandigarh
|
114
|
22.03
|
22.88
|
0.85
|
|
24
|
Dadra & Nagar Haveli#
|
491
|
207.16
|
227.75
|
0.10
|
|
25
|
Daman & Diu #
|
111
|
20.49
|
|
26
|
Lakshadweep
|
30
|
27.1
|
27.1
|
0
|
* 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.