City Beautiful’s forest cover makes for 22% of total area

The data was shared by the Ministry of environment, forest and climate change in response to a question in the Lok Sabha on the expansion of forest area in the country

City Beautiful’s forest cover has increased to 2,500 hectares, accounting for 21.93% of the Union Territory’s total geographical area, according to the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. This is an improvement from 2019, when Chandigarh had 2,203 hectares under forest cover, or about 19.3% of its geographical area.

While Chandigarh’s forest cover remains modest in absolute terms due to its limited geographical size, officials said sustained efforts through urban forestry, plantation drives and conservation programmes have helped the city retain a stable green cover in recent years. (File)

The forest area within city limits in 2017 stood at 2,203 hectares while in 2023, it had increased to 2,280 hectares.

The data was shared by the Ministry of environment, forest and climate change in response to a question in the Lok Sabha on the expansion of forest area in the country. The biennial assessment, carried out by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), uses satellite imagery and ground verification to map forest and tree cover across states and Union Territories.

While Chandigarh’s forest cover remains modest in absolute terms due to its limited geographical size, officials said sustained efforts through urban forestry, plantation drives and conservation programmes have helped the city retain a stable green cover in recent years.

In addition, Chandigarh also received funding under the Nagar Van Yojana, a flagship programme aimed at developing urban forests and green spaces in cities to improve air quality, biodiversity and citizens’ access to nature. The UT received ₹13.41 crore in 2022-23 under the scheme. However, no additional funds have been released to Chandigarh under Nagar Van Yojana in the subsequent years so far, according to the ministry’s reply.

The Centre has also launched a nationwide plantation drive, “(Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam)”, encouraging mass participation to increase green cover. Environmental experts said that for a densely planned city like Chandigarh, protecting existing forest patches and expanding urban forests will be critical to combating rising temperatures, improving air quality and enhancing overall urban resilience.

UT chief conservator of forests Saurabh Kumar credited the increase of forest cover to the department of forest and wildlife and the UT administration as well as the general public. “The joint efforts have paid off. The Greening Chandigarh Action Plan (GCAP), prepared annually by all relevant agencies, including the forest department, the horticulture wing of the UT engineering department and the municipal corporation, is instrumental in boosting the city’s greenery. Each department sets an annual target for the plantation,” he added.