From the India Today Archives (1982): Forests: The blunder of plunder
4 months ago

From the India Today Archives (1982): Forests: The blunder of plunder

India Today  

New Delhi, March 2001. The national forest policy of 1952 envisaged the country’s forest cover being raised from 23 per cent to 33 per cent of the total land area. The Birla-funded Economic and Scientific Research Foundation estimates that out of a total of 306 million hectares of cultivable land, 145 million hectares or 45 per cent of the land area is seriously threatened with erosion and is desperately in need of soil and water conservation measures, as is at least a quarter of the entire forest area in the country. Even a large percentage of reserve forests which are labelled as "virgin forests" by the department, have been raped systematically by unscrupulous contractors with a share of the "profits" going to bribery-prone forest officials. Bachkheti points out that while India has 2 percent of the earth’s land area and 1 percent of its productive forests the country has 15 per cent of the world’s human population and 10 per cent of its cattle population.

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History of this topic

What do the State of Forest Report 2023 findings mean?
2 months, 4 weeks ago

What do the State of Forest Report 2023 findings mean?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The State of Forest Report 2023 was released by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, on December 21, 2024. The SFR is a biennial exercise the Government of India undertakes to track tree and forest cover, carbon stock, forest fires, and other parameters related to the country’s green cover. The National …

How dense is India's forest cover, really? To critics, new data hides more than tells
3 months ago

How dense is India's forest cover, really? To critics, new data hides more than tells

India Today  

The Forest Survey of India’s 18th biennial India State of Forest Report 2023, released on December 21, says 21.76 per cent of the country’s landmass is made up of forests, an alarming depletion of green cover when the global benchmark is 33 per cent. Taken along with the 3.41 per cent ‘tree cover’, Union minister of environment, forest and climate …

More Than 90% of Forest Under Pressure
3 months, 1 week ago

More Than 90% of Forest Under Pressure

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Forests in Telangana, the most under pressure, have not fared well over the past several years. According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, just about 454 sq km of the state’s 27,688 sq km of reserve forest areas, have trees that can be considered old. The IFSR pointed out that 91.67 per cent – 25,381 sq km …

Experts claim latest govt data on India's forests 'inflated'
3 months, 1 week ago

Experts claim latest govt data on India's forests 'inflated'

The Hindu  

Several experts have claimed that the latest government data on India's forests is "inflated" as it includes bamboo plantations, coconut groves, and orchards among others as part of the forest cover. The 'India State of Forests Report 2023' released on Saturday, after a delay of almost a year, said India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq …

Formulate plans to arrest rapid forest degradation
Trending News
3 months, 1 week ago

Formulate plans to arrest rapid forest degradation

New Indian Express  

The latest India State of Forest report says a quarter of the country’s geographical area now is under forest cover—a spread of over 8.27 lakh sq km, which is a 1,445.8-sq-km increase over the previous survey done in 2021. The 2023 survey says that recorded forest areas stand at 5.20 lakh sq km, including 91,000 sq km of very dense …

Kerala registers highest growth in forest cover outside recorded forest areas since 2013, India State of Forest Report 2023 reveals
3 months, 1 week ago

Kerala registers highest growth in forest cover outside recorded forest areas since 2013, India State of Forest Report 2023 reveals

The Hindu  

Kerala has achieved the highest increase in forest cover outside the recorded forest area in India over the past decade, as reported in the India State of Forest Report 2023. Between 2013 and 2023, the State’s total forest cover also increased by 133.42 sq.km, a growth of 19.99%, marking one of the highest growth rates in the country. Compared to …

India's forest and tree cover grows by 1,445 sq km
Trending News
3 months, 1 week ago

India's forest and tree cover grows by 1,445 sq km

Deccan Chronicle  

India's total forest and tree cover rose by 1,445 square kilometres since 2021, reaching 25.17 per cent of the total geographical area in 2023, according to the latest government data.The forest cover grew by just 156 square kilometres while tree cover expanded by 1,289 square kilometres. Most of the gain in forest cover occurred outside the Recorded Forest Area, which …

25% of India’s total area under green cover: Government report
Trending News
3 months, 1 week ago

25% of India’s total area under green cover: Government report

The Hindu  

India’s forest and tree cover has reached a quarter of the country’s total geographical area, according to the India State of Forest Report 2023, released by the Government of India on Saturday. The Forest Survey of India defines “forest cover” as land with tree canopy density exceeding 10% and covering at least one hectare. The FSI counts trees outside forests …

Tree cover loss: NGT seeks response from all states, UTs
4 months, 1 week ago

Tree cover loss: NGT seeks response from all states, UTs

The Hindu  

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from all states and Union Territories regarding the loss of trees, saying it is a "pan-India" issue. In an order dated November 18, a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad noted the submissions of the counsel for the Survey of India about the information about forest …

Andhra Pradesh lost 1.31 kha of tree cover in 22 years
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Andhra Pradesh lost 1.31 kha of tree cover in 22 years

New Indian Express  

VISAKHAPATNAM: In over a period of around 22 years, Andhra Pradesh has lost 39.5 thousand hectares of tree cover, emitting 20.7 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalents. As per reports by the Global Forest Watch, of the total, the State has lost 1.31 kha for tree cover to forest fires from 2001 to 2023. The year with the most tree cover …

Urgent need to halt deforestation, check further land degradation by 2030: UN forum on forests
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Urgent need to halt deforestation, check further land degradation by 2030: UN forum on forests

Hindustan Times  

There is an urgent need to quickly halt deforestation and prevent further land degradation by 2030 for the world to stay on the path of sustainable development, the UN Forum on Forests said in a declaration at the conclusion of its 19th session on Friday. The declaration, which yet to be released, also reaffirmed the UN Strategic Plan for Forests …

India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000: Global Forest Watch
11 months, 2 weeks ago

India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000: Global Forest Watch

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi, India has lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000, equivalent to a six per cent decrease in tree cover during this period, according to the latest data from the Global Forest Watch monitoring project. HT Image The Global Forest Watch, which tracks forest changes in near real-time using satellite data and other sources, said the country …

Telangana tops the country in deforestation by permitting axing of over 12 lakh trees by 2020
1 year, 2 months ago

Telangana tops the country in deforestation by permitting axing of over 12 lakh trees by 2020

The Hindu  

The Telangana State has permitted record deforestation by way of clearances for various government and non-government projects since the formation of the separate State. Notwithstanding its afforestation claims under the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme, the State Forest department has earned the dubious distinction of allowing the felling of more than 12 lakh trees — which was the highest in …

Why It Matters | India has lost 668,400 ha of forest cover in the last 30 years
2 years ago

Why It Matters | India has lost 668,400 ha of forest cover in the last 30 years

The Hindu  

March 21, 2023 03:42 pm | Updated October 20, 2023 02:05 pm IST What are the facts? India ranked the second highest for the rate of deforestation after losing 668,400 hectares of forest cover in the last 30 years, a report by UK-based Utility Bidder said. India also topped the chart for biggest increase in deforestation between 1990 and 2020 …

Missing forests: Govt report makes tall claims
3 years, 1 month ago

Missing forests: Govt report makes tall claims

The Hindu  

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the India State of Forest Report 2021 on January 13, and the major highlight of the report was that the total forest cover in the country had increased by 1,540 square kilometres since the last report, which was presented in 2019. The FSI defines forest cover as all land of …

Is India’s forest cover really increasing? Official maps don’t tell you the whole truth
3 years, 1 month ago

Is India’s forest cover really increasing? Official maps don’t tell you the whole truth

The Hindu  

February 11, 2022 01:06 pm | Updated February 13, 2022 10:16 am IST It is not long after dawn, but the air in the Borajan rainforest in upper Assam is already warm and heavy with humidity. Even as India’s official reports have been claiming every two years that the country’s forest cover is going up and up, the same reports …

World Environment Day: Despite increasing green cover, India is losing its forests
7 years, 9 months ago

World Environment Day: Despite increasing green cover, India is losing its forests

Hindustan Times  

“Do not erect a memorial when I die, but plant a tree if you loved and respected me,” Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave who died on May 18, wrote in his will. A rise in forest and tree cover may seem like a reason to celebrate but a careful look at the state of forests shows the government has …

India could lose forest cover slightly more than the size of Mauritius by 2025: ISRO study
7 years, 10 months ago

India could lose forest cover slightly more than the size of Mauritius by 2025: ISRO study

Firstpost  

A staggering 2,305 sq km of forest cover in northeast India and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands could disappear by 2025, a study by ISRO scientists has predicted. Kolkata: A staggering 2,305 square kilometres of forest cover in northeast India and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands — slightly more than the size of Mauritius — could disappear by 2025, a …

Andhra Pradesh diverts 1,125 sq km forest area over 35 years
8 years, 9 months ago

Andhra Pradesh diverts 1,125 sq km forest area over 35 years

Deccan Chronicle  

Visakhapatnam: Over the 35 years from 1980, undivided Andhra Pradesh has diverted about 112554.963 hectare of forest land which is about 1,125 sq km and more than the geographical size of Hyderabad. According to the Ministry of Forests and Environment data, after Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, AP has diverted large forest area land under Forest Act. The reason is …

Forest fires and logging threaten India’s progress on climate goals
8 years, 9 months ago

Forest fires and logging threaten India’s progress on climate goals

Live Mint  

Dehradun: Since the end of April, fires in parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have destroyed or damaged 26,000 hectares of forests, and killed three people, officials say. The losses, combined with those from surging illegal logging, mean India has lost 2,511 square kilometres of dense and moderately dense forest since 2013, according to the environment ministry’s 2015 Forest Survey …

Large Forest Cover Lost to 23,716 Industrial Projects in India
8 years, 9 months ago

Large Forest Cover Lost to 23,716 Industrial Projects in India

The Quint  

“Compensatory afforestation” is the term used to describe the trees that must be planted as compensation for forests cut down, which requires special permission from the ministry of environment and forests. The government may claim planted trees compensate for forests lost, but that does not mean complex flora and fauna destroyed have been restored, said Roy. Of 14,000 sq km …

How industrial encroachments have replaced forests over 30 years
8 years, 9 months ago

How industrial encroachments have replaced forests over 30 years

Firstpost  

Over the last 30 years, forests nearly two-thirds the size of Haryana have been lost to encroachments and 23,716 industrial projects, according to government data. “Our study shows dense forest areas in northern, central and southern Western Ghats have decreased by 2.84 percent, 4.38 percent and 5.77 percent respectively over the last decade.” Currently, up to 25,000 hectares of forests …

23,716 Industrial Projects Replace Forests Over 30 Years
8 years, 9 months ago

23,716 Industrial Projects Replace Forests Over 30 Years

Firstpost  

Over the last 30 years, forests nearly two-thirds the size of Haryana have been lost to encroachments and industrial projects, according to government data. “Our study shows dense forest areas in northern, central and southern Western Ghats have decreased by 2.84%, 4.38% and 5.77% respectively over the last decade.” Currently, up to 25,000 hectares of forests–250 sq km, or more …

Cutting forests turns Telangana, Andhra Pradesh into green hell
8 years, 11 months ago

Cutting forests turns Telangana, Andhra Pradesh into green hell

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Friday will be observed as World Earth Day. In a research to classify forests in AP as per “hotspots”, NRSC resea-rchers found that on an average, in AP 40.2 per cent of forest were deforestation hotspots, 35.9 per cent were high fragmentation hotspots and 19.2 per cent are forest fire hotspots. A worrying part is that the NRSC researchers …

Losing green cover: India lost original forests 70 times Delhi's area in 14 years
9 years, 8 months ago

Losing green cover: India lost original forests 70 times Delhi's area in 14 years

Firstpost  

Environment minister Prakash Javadekar released the biennial report “India State of Forest Report 2013” on 7 July stating that the forest cover continues to stand at 21 percent of the country’s geographical area In the number of years it took Ram to complete his vanvaas and return back to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, India has lost original forests 70 times …

Protecting forest lands
11 years, 6 months ago

Protecting forest lands

The Hindu  

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General underscoring the >blatant violation of conservation laws and Supreme Court orders in the diversion of forests for destructive non-forestry use confirms what former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said about the system: it’s a bit of a joke. Among the major findings of the CAG are the non-receipt of nearly 73 per cent …

Centre plans ‘Green India Mission’
14 years, 1 month ago

Centre plans ‘Green India Mission’

The Hindu  

Union Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday that the Union government proposed to announce a "Green India Mission" shortly to increase the forest cover and quality of forests in the country. Mr. Ramesh said that the Mission would aim at improving the quality of five million hectares of degraded forests and bringing another five million hectares …

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