India's forestland sees growth, now covers 24.62% of total area

India's forest and tree cover and total mangrove cover have recorded an increase compared to 2019, according to an official survey released in New Delhi today.

The total forest and tree cover across India has gone up by 2,261 sqkm from 80.9 million hectares in 2019, which is 24.62 percent of the total geographical area of the country, said the India State of Forest Report 2021 prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) which has been mandated to assess the forest and tree resources of the country, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The findings of the survey released by Indian Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav said the total mangrove cover in India is 4,992 sqkm and an increase of 17 sqKm in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2019.

The top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Odisha (8 sqkm) followed by Maharashtra (4 sqkm) and Karnataka (3 sqkm). An increase in mangrove cover has also been noted in the West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, where the Sunderbans is located, said the survey. 

The South 14 Parganas district in West Bengal alone accounts for 41.74 percent of India's total mangrove cover, said the survey.

The total carbon stock in India's forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes and there is an increase of 79.4 million tonnes in the carbon stock of the country as compared to the last assessment of 2019. The annual increase in carbon stock is 39.7 million tonnes.

Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.