(a) the total area of forest land in Maharashtra at present;
(b) the area of forest land as per rule mandated in the districts of Maharashtra;
(c) whether all the districts have forest land as mandated by guidelines/studies; and
(d) if not, the names of the districts of Maharashtra which do not have forest land mandated as per rule along with the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) & (b) As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019, total recorded forest area in Maharashtra State is 61,579 square kilometer (km2) which is 20.01% of its total geographical area.
As per the National Forest Policy 1988, the national goal should be to have a minimum of one- third of the total land area of the country under forest or tree cover. In the hill and in mountainous regions, the aim should be to maintain two-third of the area under such cover in order to prevent erosion and land degradation and to ensure the stability of fragile eco-system.
(c) & (d) As per ISFR 2019, the total forest cover of Maharashtra is 50,778 km2 which is 16.50% of the total geographical area of the State. District wise forest cover of the Maharashtra is given in Annexure.
To increase the forest and tree cover further in the country including in the State of Maharashtra, Ministry has been taking several initiatives. These include Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme, National Mission for a Green India and Development of Wildlife Habitats. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018 also contain provisions for taking up assisted natural regeneration, artificial regeneration and Silvicultural operations in forests which contribute to increase in forest cover. Afforestation and tree planting activities, including in non-forest areas, are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources of other ministries, such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and under the schemes/plans of States and Union Territories (UTs).
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