Tree cover in Indian Himalayan region shrunk by 2.2 per cent in two years: Govt

NEW DELHI: (Mar 14) The tree cover in the 13 states and Union territories of the Indian Himalayan region has shrunk by 2.27 per cent between 2021 and 2023, Union minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the minister said that according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, the tree cover in the region fell from 15,427.11 sq km in 2021 to 15,075.5 sq km in 2023.

Singh also said the total carbon stock in the forests of the Indian Himalayan region has been assessed to be 3,273.10 million tonnes in 2023. It stood at 3,272.68 million tonnes in 2021.