India's forest cover increases 21.7% in two years, FSI report reveals

As per ISFR 2021, the state of Madhya Pradesh occupies maximum forest cover amounting upto 77,493 square kilometers out of a geographical region of 3,08,252 square kilometers

India’s forest cover has increased by 21.7 percent to 7, 13,789 square kilometers, data published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) has revealed.

According to data released by the FSI after conducting a biennial survey of the country’s forest cover, the forest cover has increased by 1,540 square kilometers between the assessments of ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021.

As per the ISFR 2021, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover amounting up to 77,493 square kilometers out of a geographical region of 3,08,252 square kilometers. Haryana, on the other hand, has the minimum forest cover at 1,603 square kilometers, out of a geographical region of 44,212 square kilometers.

As for union territories, Jammu and Kashmir has the largest forest cover amounting up to 21,387 square kilometers out of a geographical region of 2,22,236 square kilometers, while Chandigarh has the least at about 22.88 square kilometers of forest cover out of a geographical region of 114 square kilometers.

Explaining the increase in India’s forest cover, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said there has been an attempt to restore ecosystems and increase the forest cover of the country, for which afforestation and other tree plantation activities were undertaken by the states and union territories.

“These efforts put in by multiple departments have yielded positive results in not only conserving but creating more forest cover across India…. Over the past five years, Rs 570.7 crores has been provided to sixteen states and one union territory to aid afforestation activities,” it added.

The ministry is also implementing the Nagar Van Yojana since 2020 with the aim to create 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatika in India by 2024-25 with the use of funds provided by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA). So far, Rs 238.64 crores has been sanctioned by the union ministry to fund 270 projects under the Nagar Vann Yojana.

This would help increase the green cover in the urban as well as peri-urban areas, provide ecological benefits, and improve the quality of life of residents of cities, the ministry said.