Telangana records second highest forest cover increase in India

The State government planted 235.59 crore seedlings till January 2022 against the target of planting 230 crore seedlings under the Haritha Haram programme, achieving 102.6 per cent plantations.

Hyderabad: Continuing the trend of setting examples for other States, Telangana has recorded the second highest increase in forest cover in the country. And once again, it is the State government’s flagship green initiative, Telangana Ku Haritha Haram, that helped India’s youngest State achieve this substantial increase.

The State government planted 235.59 crore seedlings till January 2022 against the target of planting 230 crore seedlings under the Haritha Haram programme, which was launched in 2015-16, achieving 102.6 per cent plantations.

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According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, Telangana has a forest cover of 21,214 square kilometres. There is an increase of 632 square kilometres between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021, which is the second highest increase in forest cover in the country, according to union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey, who stated this in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Interestingly, BJP-ruled States like Uttar Pradesh (12), Madhya Pradesh (11), Maharashtra (20), Gujarat (69) and Karnataka (155) recorded very less increase in forest cover.

Choubey’s reply came to a question from BRS MP B Parthasaradhi Reddy, who had sought details on the steps taken by the union government to highlight and disseminate the best practices adopted by Telangana to increase the forest cover across the country.

In reply, Choubey said these best practices of any State were highlighted and disseminated across the country through national workshops and regional workshops on afforestation, forest fire management. This apart, distribution of pamphlets and presentations were being done on suitable occasions, besides field visits by officers from other States, he said.

On the timelines set to achieve the targeted 33 per cent forest cover in the country, the Union Minister said there was no timeline set under the National Forest Policy to achieve these targets.

The Ministry was undertaking various afforestation and tree plantation programmes such as National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Nagar Van Yojana, CAMPA etc, he added.

State                     –    ISFR 2019 (Area in sq.km)  –  ISFR 2021 (Area)   –  Increase

Andhra Pradesh            29,137                                                29,784                              647

Telangana                       20,582                                              21,214                               632

Gujarat                            14,857                                              14,926                                69

Karnataka                       38,575                                            38,730                                155

Uttar Pradesh                14,806                                             14,818                                12

Madhya Pradesh           77,482                                             77, 493                               11

Maharashtra                  50,778                                            50,798                                20

Source: Lok Sabha replies