Haryana’s forest cover, as per a 2021 Forest Survey of India report, was 1,603 sq km. This was stated in a reply tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
The 1,603 sq km of forest cover works out to be 3.63% of the total geographical area of 44,212 sq km of the state. The central government had in April 2023 told the Lok Sabha that at 3.63% forest cover, Haryana has the lowest percentage of forest cover as compared to other states. At 1,847 sq km, neighbouring Punjab has a forest cover of 3.67% of its total geographical area of 50,362 sq km.
Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply to Congress MP from Ambala, Varun Chaudhary’s unstarred question told the Lok Sabha that as per a 2019 Forest Survey of India report, Haryana’s forest cover was 1,602 sq km and the state was ranked 30 nationwide. It’s ranked 31 nationwide as per the 2021 Forest Survey of India report, the reply said.
The reply said that for increasing the forest cover, the environment, forest and climate change ministry supports the state governments for carrying out afforestation activities mainly through the National Mission for a Green India and Nagar Van Yojana. Afforestation activities are also undertaken by utilising compensatory afforestation funds as per the law. A sum of ₹411.81 crore has been released to the state in 2023-24 under various schemes and plans for increasing the forest cover. This included ₹220 crore for compensatory afforestation, ₹34 crore under the Green India Mission, about ₹30 crore for rehabilitation of degraded forests, ₹3.30 crore for rehabilitation of Aravalli hills and ₹110 crore for development of agro-forestry, the reply said.
{{/usCountry}}The reply said that for increasing the forest cover, the environment, forest and climate change ministry supports the state governments for carrying out afforestation activities mainly through the National Mission for a Green India and Nagar Van Yojana. Afforestation activities are also undertaken by utilising compensatory afforestation funds as per the law. A sum of ₹411.81 crore has been released to the state in 2023-24 under various schemes and plans for increasing the forest cover. This included ₹220 crore for compensatory afforestation, ₹34 crore under the Green India Mission, about ₹30 crore for rehabilitation of degraded forests, ₹3.30 crore for rehabilitation of Aravalli hills and ₹110 crore for development of agro-forestry, the reply said.
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