Question : Forest Areas in Assam

(a) whether Assam has been endowed with hectares of forest areas;
(b) if so, the details of the total forest areas thereof along with the total number of elephants in Assam;
(c) whether the Government has provided fund to construct high land in Kaziranga National Park;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the total amount provided for development of Kaziranga National Park by the Government during the current financial year; and
(e) the total areas of reserve forests in North-East alongwith the forest areas reported to be encroached in Assam?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)& (b) Yes, Madam. The details of forest areas in Assam, as per India State of Forest Report-2017, are as Follows:-

S. No. Forest Category Area (in square kilometer)
1. Reserved Forest 17,864
2. Protected Forest 0
3. Unclassed Forest 8,968
Total 26,832


There are 5719 numbers of wild elephants in Assam as per 2017 census.

(c) & (d) Yes, Madam. A total number of 40 high lands have been constructed in Kaziranga National Park under the State Owned Priority Development fund of Rs. 5.0 crore. Further under the Central Sponsored Scheme of “Project Tiger” an amount of Rs. 1126.27 lakhs and under the State Plan scheme an amount of Rs.27.50 lakhs have been provided for the development of Kaziranga National Park.

(e) The total area of reserve forests in the eight North Eastern States including Assam is 45,377 square kilometers and the forest areas under encroachment in the state of Assam are 3878.85 sq km.

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