Find out about state of forests in lndia and write a brief report on it
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Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in India. Above is the protected forest in Van Vihar National Park.
Arunachal Pradesh has the 2nd largest forest cover in India, and its largest primary forest cover. Above is Nuranang Falls on the way to Tawang
Chhatthisgarh and Odisha are other major forest covered states of India. Above elephants in Chandaka forest, Odisha.
Western Ghats are another bio-active forest cover of India. Above Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka.
A NASA photo of India's North Sentinel Island covered with forest
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental resource. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world along with Russia, Brazil, Canada, United States of America, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, Indonesia and Sudan. Together, India and these countries account for 67 percent of total forest area of the world.[1] India's forest cover grew at 0.20% annually over 1990-2000,[2] and has grown at the rate of 0.7% per year over 2000-2010,[2] after decades where forest degradation was a matter of serious concern.[3]
As of 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates India's forest cover to be about 68 million hectares, or 22% of the country's area[4][5] and by 2015 FAO Global assessment observers the forest cover increasing to 70.68 million hectares occupying 23.8% of the total land area of the country.[6] The 2013 Forest Survey of India states its forest cover increased to 69.8 million hectares by 2012, per satellite measurements; this represents an increase of 5,871 square kilometers of forest cover in 2 years.[7] However, the gains were primarily in northern, central and southern Indian states, while northeastern states witnessed a net loss in forest cover over 2010 to 2012.
In 2002, forestry industry contributed 1.7% to India's GDP.[3] In 2010, the contribution to GDP dropped to 0.9%, largely because of rapid growth of the economy in other sectors and the government's decision to reform and reduce import tariffs to let imports satisfy the growing Indian demand for wood products. India produces a range of processed forest (wood and non-wood) products ranging from wood panel products and wood pulp to make bronze, rattazikistan ware and pern resin. India's paper industry produces over 3,000 metric tonnes annually from more than 400 mills.[3] The furniture and craft industry is another consumer of wood. India's wood-based processing industries consumed about 30 million cubic metres of industrial wood in 2002.[3] India annually consumes an additional 270 million tonnes of fuelwood, 2800 million tonnes of fodder, and about 102 million cubic meter of forest products - valued at about ₹27,500 crore (US$3.8 billion) a year. India is one of the world's largest consumer of fuel-wood.[3] India's consumption of fuel-wood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests.[3] However, a large percentage of this fuel-wood is grown as biomass remaining from agriculture, and is managed outside forests. Fuel-wood meets about 40% of the energy needs of the country.[3] Around 80% of rural people and 48% of urban people use fuel-wood.[3] Unless India makes major, rapid and sustained effort to expand electricity generation and power plants, the rural and urban poor in India will continue to meet their energy needs through unsustainable destruction of forests and fuel wood consumption. India's dependence on fuel-wood and forestry products as a primary energy source is not only environmentally unsustainable, it is a primary cause of India's near-permanent haze and air pollution.[8][9]
Forestry in India is more than just about wood and fuel. India has a thriving non-wood forest products industry, which produces latex, gums, resins, essential oils, flavours, fragrances and aroma chemicals, incense sticks, handicrafts, thatching materials and medicinal plants. About 60% of non-wood forest products production is consumed locally. About 50% of the total revenue from the forestry industry in India is in non-wood forest products category.[3] In 2002, non-wood forest products were a source of significant supplemental income to over 400 million people in India, mostly rural.[3]
Here are some positive points to know from the forest report:
India follows a policy of keeping one-third of the country's total land area under forest and tree cover
The forest cover of India has increased by 21.34 percent in the last two years
Very dense forests in India cover 2.61 percent of the total forest area, moderately dense forests account for 9.59 percent while open forests stand at 9.14 percent
Among all the states and Union Territories, Mizoram has the highest forest cover with 88.93 percent of the total area, followed by Lakshadweep
However, northeastern states have experienced a decline in forest cover except Manipur
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have gained around 1,930 square kilometre of very dense forests, Uttar Pradesh has added 572 square kilometre of very dense forest cover and Tamil Nadu has reported a net gain of 100 square kilometre of very dense forest cover
The mangrove cover in India has increased by 112 square kilometre following acute conservation in the Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika forest.
Here are some downsides of the forest report:
Although the total forest cover has seen an increase, around 2,510 square kilometre of very dense and mid-dense forests have been wiped out since 2013
States of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana have suffered huge loss of forest cover
Around 2,254 square kilometre of mid-dense forest cover has turned into non-forest lands in the past two years.