(a) whether the Government is aware that there is an adverse effect on environment due to illegal cutting of forest in the country;
(b) if so, the percentage of decline in forest cover noticed during the last three years as on date, State-wise; and
(c) the efforts made by the Government to check the illegal cutting of forests and the details of the talks held with the State Governments in this regard during the last three years till date?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) to (c) Protection and management of forests and trees is primarily the responsibility of the States and UTs. State Governments/Union Territory administration take appropriate action regarding illegal cutting of trees as per the provisions of Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, various acts of State/UT and the rules and regulations made thereunder. No specific study on impact of felling of trees on environment has been carried out by the ministry.
Forest and Tree Cover assessment for the country is carried out every two years by Forest Surveyof India and the findings are published as India State of Forest Report (ISFR). Based on last three ISFR (ISFR 2015, ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2019), there is an overall increase of 10,754 square kilometre (km2) in the forest and tree cover in the country. Some decline in forest cover has been observed in only a few States/UTs in the ISFR-2019 as compared to ISFR-2017, including inArunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim due to various reasons such as shifting cultivation, developmental activities such as mining, construction of dams, road and railway network, etc. Details of State/UT wise forest cover are annexed.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial assistance to the States and UTs for protection and management of forests under Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as Forest Fire Protection and Management Scheme, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat (IDWH), etc. The aim is to supplement the efforts of the States and UTs towards protection and management of forests.
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