New Delhi: The country’s forest cover has increased by 12,294 square kilometre over the last seven years, the government informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
There has been increase in forest cover in some States while there has been decrease in forest cover in some States as per India State of Forest Report-2021, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar said in Question Hour.
He was responding to CPM MP John Brittas who sought information on forest cover including details of progression and regression between 2015 to 2021.
The minister said that the forest cover assessment is a wall-to-wall mapping exercise based on remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification and field data from National Forest Inventory. He said improvement in forest canopy density may be attributed to conservation measures, afforestation activities, enhanced protection measures in plantation.
While the loss may be attributed to harvesting of short rotational plantations, shifting cultivation, biotic pressure, clearance in encroached area and developmental activities, he said.Â
