Despite spending crores, Haryana ranks 31 in forest cover

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

New Delhi, July 22

Haryana ranks a dismal 31st in forest cover across India despite crores of expenditure on afforestation. According to the Indian State of Forest Report 2021, the state has 1,603 sq km of forest cover, an increase of just 1 sq km from the 2019 report.

As per information submitted in the Lok Sabha today, the Centre allocated Rs 176.38 crore in 2019-20 for Haryana’s afforestation activities under different schemes, which increased to Rs 257.19 crore in 2020-21. In 2021-22, Rs 385.85 crore was allocated, rising to Rs 495.72 crore in 2022-23. In 2023-24, a total of Rs 411.81 crore was spent in the state. These figures were submitted in response to Ambala MP Varun Chaudhary’s question today.

Regarding the delay in publishing the ISFR 2023, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, included 751 districts in the report instead of the previous 636 districts, causing the delay.

Singh said to increase forest cover, the ministry supports states and UTs primarily through the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and Nagar Van Yojana. Afforestation activities also utilise the Compensatory Afforestation (CA) Fund as per the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, and related rules.

Plantation efforts are additionally coordinated with schemes from other central ministries such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, and Sub-Mission on Agroforestry.