December 13
Odisha is having total forest cover area of 52,156 square kilometers, which is 33.50 percent of the 1,55,707 square kilometers geographical area. In 2019, Odisha’s total forest cover was 51,619 square kilometers and percentage-wise it was 33.15 percent of the total geographical area.
As per the latest ISFR (Forest Survey of India) 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometers which are 21.71% of the geographical area of the country. In 2019 also, it was 21.67 percent of the total geographical.
The current assessment shows that the total forest cover of the country has increased by 1540 square kilometers, tree cover has increased by 721 square kilometers and the total forest and tree cover has increased by 2261 square kilometers at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2019.
Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR).
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.
To increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation programmes are taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry such as National Mission for a Green India (GIM).
GIM is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation activities in the forest and non- forest areas. GIM activities were started in the FY 2015-16.
So, far a sum of Rs. 681.92 Crores have been released to fifteen States and one union territory for creation of plantation over an area of 128383 hectares.
The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period of 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to significantly enhance the tree outside forests and green cover, enhancement of biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from improving quality of life of city dwellers with the funds under the National Fund of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
The Ministry has approved 270 projects under Nagar Van Yojana with the total cost of Rs.238.64 Crore till date, which includes an amount of Rs. 57.14 Crore for creation of 97 Nagar Van/Vatika during 2022-23.
Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Compensatory Afforestation Funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Afforestation activities are also taken up under various schemes of State Government /UT Administration. In addition, plantations are also done by various departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc.
The multi departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving environment by addressing the problem of deforestation, besides keeping the pace of development, which is evident from the fact that the forest cover has stabilized and has been constantly increasing over the years.
As per the latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country has increased by 12,294 square kilometres in the last seven years (ISFR 2015 to ISFR 2021).
