Recently, India State of Forest Reports has been released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2017. According to this report, between years 2015 to 2017, there has been an increase of 8021 sq km in total forest and tree cover in India. Thus, total forest and tree cover in the country has gone up to 24.39 percent of the total geographical area.
- It is worth noting that only the forest cover in the country is only 21.53 percent of the total geographical area. Whereas forest and tree cover is 24.39 percent. India State of Forest Report is released every two years by the Indian Forest Survey. This was the 15th edition of this report. Indian Forest Survey is issuing the India State of Forest Report every two years from the year 1987.
According to the India State of Forest Report, the status of forest in the country:
- More than 75 percent of its total geographical area has forest cover in seven states / union territories like Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur.
- Forest cover is in 33 to 75 percent of the total geographical area of its total geographical area in eight states / union territories of the country such as Tripura, Goa, Sikkim, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chhattisgarh and Assam.
- Most forest cover in Lakshadweep (90.33%) in proportion to total geographical area, in which case Mizoram (86.27%) and Andaman-Nicobar Islands (81.73%) are in second and third place respectively.
- According to this report, the highest forest cover has been increased in Andhra Pradesh (2141 km²), Karnataka (1101 km²) and Kerala (1043 sq km).
- According to the area, in the case of forest cover, Madhya Pradesh (77414 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh (6,664 sq km) and Chhattisgarh (55547) are at first, second and third places respectively.
- According to the report, there is also a decrease in forest cover in some states. Mizoram (531 sq. Km), Nagaland (450 sq. Km) and Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq. Km) are the first, second and third places in the case of reduction in forest cover.
According to the report, status of the mangrove forest in the country:
- According to the India State of Forest Report, 2017, the total mangrove cover in the country is 4921 square kilometers. Between 2015 and 2017, there has been an increase of 181 square kilometers.
- Mangrove forests exist in 12 states of the country. The mangroves cover has increased in 7 of these 12 states.
- The highest growth in mangrove cover has been recorded in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, 82 sq. Km, 37 sq km in Andhra Pradesh And in Gujarat, there is an increase of mangroves cover in 33 sq. Km.
Conclusion:
It can be concluded that India State of Forest Report issued by Indian Forest Survey provides positive information in the case of 2017 forest cover. Increasingly, the area of mangrove forests has increased in the country.
