CURRENT SITUATION OF INDIAN FORESTS & NEED FOR THEIR PROTECTION 

Indian forests are diverse and vital to its ecological balance, encompassing various types such as tropical evergreens, deciduous forests, mangroves, and alpine forests. These forests support rich biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services. However, Indian forests are showing fast decline and irreparably damaged. The India State of Forest Report 2021 claimed a marginal increase of 0.22 % in the country’s forest cover, a net increase of 1,540 square kilometres from its previous assessment in 2019. 

 

However, a closer analysis of the report shows that, in two years, between 2019 and 2021, the quality of India’s forests deteriorated across 15,183 square kilometres (sq. km) as forests were either cut down or thinned out. The area of deteriorating forests was found to be nearly 10 times the area of new forests that were added in the ISFR report 2021. Of this, the degradation of 9,117 sq. km. of forest cover was so severe that they turned into scrubs or non-forest lands having no forest or tree worth capturing from a high-resolution satellite. 

 

As of 2021, India’s forest cover is approximately 713,789 square kilometers, accounting for 21.71% of the country’s total geographical area. This marks a slight increase from previous assessments, indicating ongoing afforestation and conservation efforts. For instance, the forest cover was 692,027 square kilometers in 2011, showing a gradual upward trend over the past decade. 

 

The Indian government has implemented several initiatives to enhance forest cover. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) law, enacted in 2016, allocated substantial funds for afforestation, forest management, and wildlife protection. Additionally, massive tree-planting campaigns have been conducted; for example, in 2019, Uttar Pradesh planted 220 million trees in a single day to combat climate change and increase green cover. 

 

Despite these positive trends, challenges persist. Invasive species like Lantana camara, introduced during British colonial times, have spread extensively across Indian forests, outcompeting native vegetation and disrupting ecosystems. This invasion has particularly affected herbivores such as elephants, leading to habitat degradation and increased human-wildlife conflicts. 

 

Community involvement has played a significant role in forest conservation. In Maharashtra’s Pachgaon village, indigenous communities secured traditional ownership rights over their bamboo forests under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. This empowerment enabled sustainable management and economic prosperity, transforming the village’s fortunes. 

 

According to Dr. Uma Shankar Singh (Retired IFS) the latest ISFR (2023), suggeats that 294.75 square km of VDF and 3,361.5 square km of MDF became non-forests during 2021-2023 in India. Together, that is a loss of 3,656 square km of dense forests in two years. There are many parameters on which the health of the forest is assessed for example, the basal area, growing stock, leaf area index, Shanon index, wet land area etc and unfortunately, all of them seem to show a declining trend. Western Ghats have also lost 58.22 square kilometres (sq. km) of forest cover in the last 10 years. Moderately dense forest in the western Ghaht, which contains 32% endemic species, has decreased by 1,043.23 sq. kilometres, a substantial loss. India has also lost 1,488 square kilometres (sq km) of ‘unclassed forests’, an analysis of data from the State of Forest Report (SOFR) 2023 has revealed.

 

Dr. Singh further observed in a paper published in Nature in 2024; revealing that 5.3 million farmland trees in India have disappeared between 2019 and 2021. The encroachment of forest land which is happening at a disproportionate rate of 20000 hectares per annum which is irreparable. ISFR (2023) sugests that over 46,000 sq. km of forest has turned into non-forest between 2011 and 2021, with Arunachal Pradesh topping the list with 6,539 sq. km followed by Madhya Pradesh (5,353) and Maharashtra (4,052). The southern states are also not behind in losing these precious natural resources. Among the southern states, Karnataka (3328 sq. km) comes at the fourth spot preceded by Telangana (4926) and Andhra Pradesh (5560). Another 46,300 sq. km of dense forest turned into either open forest (10-40% canopy density) or scrub areas (less than 10% canopy density interspersed with some trees) in the same period, losing the majority of the foliage. Most of the areas have been denuded after the amendment brought in the Forest conservation Act in 2023. 

 

Many of these areas, Dr. Singh suggests are already home to some of the country’s engineering projects, mines, highways, and in the name of other developmental activities. Combining all the three, the total degradation is 92,989 sq. km or 93000 square kilometres has been seen in the recent past. The other issue which is most worrying for an ecologist is the expansion of Prosopis juliflora into other forest ecosystem. This is an invasive alien plant, and may destroy the nature of forest. Prosopis emerges among the top five agroforestry species in 2023 compared to the situation in 2013, he mentioned.The degradation of Indian forests has led the expansion of zoonotic diseases and may out the entire human kind if the mindless destruction of forest is not stopped.

India’s forests are experiencing a gradual increase in cover due to concerted governmental and community efforts. However, addressing challenges like invasive species and ensuring sustainable management practices remain critical to preserving these vital ecosystems for future generations.