The latest report has once again exposed the tall claims by the government that the state has 20% forest cover and it is increasing forest cover by taking number of steps like plantations on wastelands. As per the National Forest Policy 1988, a state needs to have 33% forest cover. However, the latest FSI report says it is only 16.46%. The FSI report is made public every two years.
However, NB Majumdar, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) for conservation, clarified that decline of forest cover was not a definitive index of loss of forest area. "It is not necessary that drop in forest cover meant drop in forest area, but the fact also cannot be ruled out," he said.
Majumdar said the Forest Survey of India (FSI) says cover means all lands, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10% irrespective of ownership and legal status. "Such lands may not necessarily be a recorded as forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm," Majumdar added.
The report, based on the interpretation of satellite data of October to December 2008, forest cover in the state is 50,646 sq km, which is 16.46% of the geographical area of 3,07,713 sq km. In 2009, it was 50,650 sq km, a loss of 4 sq km. Read the full report here.
Source: Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Nagpur.
