Forest Cover in the Country

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

* The report of ISFR 2019 reported combined forest cover of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.