Mon Dec 23 12:26:38 UTC 2024: ## India’s Forest Cover Data Inflated, Experts Claim

**New Delhi, December 23, 2024** – The Indian government’s latest State of Forests Report (ISFR 2023), released Saturday after a year-long delay, claims a 1,445 sq km increase in forest and tree cover since 2021, reaching 25.17% of the geographical area. However, leading experts are challenging the accuracy of these figures, alleging significant inflation due to flawed methodology.

The report attributes the increase largely to an expansion in tree cover, including plantations of various species like rubber, eucalyptus, and mango, as well as bamboo and coconut groves. Critics, including former principal chief conservator of forests Prakriti Srivastava and conservationist Krithika Sampath, argue that including these plantations inflates the data, as they offer limited ecological value compared to natural forests. They point to the inclusion of orchards and even areas like mango groves, which account for 13.25% of the reported tree cover increase.

The experts further highlight a concerning loss of 1,488 sq km of “unclassed forests” (non-notified forests under government ownership) between 2021 and 2023, a fact the report fails to adequately explain. They also criticize the lack of correlation between recorded forest area and overall forest cover, suggesting a lack of data robustness. The report’s failure to comply with a Supreme Court order mandating the digitization of forest maps and geo-referencing of forest areas further undermines its credibility, according to the experts. They also point out that forest lands diverted for infrastructure projects are not removed from the records, artificially inflating the figures.

Independent analysis by Debadityo Sinha of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy reveals significant losses of open, scrub, and moderately dense forests to non-forest uses, contrasting with the report’s focus on carbon sequestration potential. Experts also express alarm over the low forest cover (40%) in hill districts, far below the mandated 66.6%, linking this deficiency to increased landslides and floods. The report itself acknowledges a decline in forest cover in several ecologically sensitive areas, including the Western Ghats and the northeastern region. Mangrove cover also saw a net decrease of 7.43 sq km.

The controversy surrounding the ISFR 2023 raises serious questions about the accuracy and reliability of India’s forest cover data, highlighting the need for more rigorous methodology and transparency in future assessments.

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