India's forest cover has declined by 367 sq km between 2007 and 2009. While the figure may not seem alarming, it runs counter to the impression that afforestation and conservation programmes are yielding results.
The largest dip in forest cover was in the northeast which lost 550 sq km. This loss was very partially made up elsewhere, even as there was an overall negative growth in green cover. There was better news from states like Punjab, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan where social forestry projects seem to have worked to some extent.
The 2011 report of the Dehradun-based Forest Survey of India accessed by TOI has been submitted to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and is to be released soon.
The news for Delhiites is not encouraging. There has been no change in the forest cover although Delhi government has been repeatedly claiming that forest areas are increasing. With civic agencies pointing to unchecked encroachments in the Ridge, the FSI report is not a surprise.
Maximum reduction in forest cover has been reported from insurgency-hit Manipur, totaling 190 sq km. Nagaland comes next with at least 146 sq km forest being lost between 2006 and 2008. The trend is equally worrying in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
The last FSI report in 2009 showed forest cover in the northeast had increased from 1,69,825 sq km in 2005 to 1,70,423 sq km in 2007 -- an annual increase of 299 sq km over two years.
Citing reasons behind the sharp fall in forest cover, a retired conservator of forests said some forest areas in the region were inhabited by tribals and locals practised Jhum cultivation by clearing out huge swathes of forest areas. There was also the threat of organized wood smugglers and mafia.
But there have been some positive indicators elsewhere. Forest cover has increased by 100 sq km during these two years in Punjab, sources in the FSI said. "This is primarily because the government is pushing agro forestry activities. If satellite imagery establishes at least 10% area in an hectare is under forest, we designate it as forest cover," said an official associated with preparation of FSI reports.
Sources said that while Haryana and Himachal Pradesh reported slight increase in forest cover - 14 and 11 sq km respectively. "We expect the forest cover will be more in Haryana in the next report which will be out in 2013 considering the positive impact of Supreme Court ban on mining in Aravallis," said an official posted at FSI.
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