(a) whether forest cover in the country has increased during the last three years and the current year;
(b) if so, the details thereof indicating the reasons where forest/green cover has increased;
(c) the best global practices that are currently being studied by the Government to increase forest/green cover in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the other steps being taken by the Government to increase forest cover in the country?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a)& (b) Yes, Sir. Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, a subordinate organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per the latest report i.e. ISFR- 2017, the total forest and tree cover in the country is 8, 02, 088 square kilometer (forest cover 7,08,273 square kilometer, tree cover 93,815 square kilometer) which is 24.39% of the geographical area of the country. There is an increase of 8,021 square kilometer (forest cover 6,778 square kilometer, tree cover 1,243 square kilometer) of total forest and tree cover compared to that of ISFR-2015. The State/UTs wise details of forest and tree cover along with percentage as per ISFR-2017 and ISFR-2015 are given in Annexure.The main reason for increase in forest cover can be attributed to plantation and conservation activities both within and outside the Recorded Forest areas.
(c) As per Global Forest Resources Assessments (GFRA) published by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), India is placed as 10th in the top ten countries in terms of forest area. As per GFRA, India is placed at 8th position in top 10 countries reporting greatest annual forest area gain. Thus, India is implementing best global practices to increase forest/green cover in the country.
(d)To increase the forest/green coverin the country, afforestation programmes by planting trees are being taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM) being implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) and under concerned State/UTs schemes/plan.
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