(a) the extent of forest cover in the country at the end of 2000 and 2009 in each
State/Union Territory;
(b) whether the afforestation programmes being implemented during the above period have not
been brought the desired results;
(c) if so, the corrective measures taken / proposed to be taken to effectively implement
afforestation programmes;
(d) whether the States are given Carbon Credit points for increasing forest cover; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)
(a)to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 156 by
Shri P. Viswanathan and Shri K. P. Dhanapalan due for reply on 04.08.2010.
(a) Forest cover of the States / UTs as per ‘State of Forest Report 2001’ and ‘India State
of Forest Report 2009’ published by Forest Survey of India is given in Annexure - I.
(b) No, Sir. Due to afforestation programme implemented during the period from 2000 to
2009, there has actually been a net increase in forest cover of the country over the last
decade. The details are given in Annexure - II.
(c) Does not arise in view of (b) above.
(d)& (e) There is no automatic mechanism whereby States can get carbon credits for
increasing forest cover. Carbon credits are earned by Project Proponents or any entity that
develop Afforestation & Reforestation projects as per Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
Modalities and Procedures and are registered by the CDM Executive Board of the United Nation
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).