1593.97 Hectares of Forest Land Used for Non-Forestry Purposes, says Union Minister
VISHAKHAPATNAM: Union forest minister Kirti Vardhan Singh has stated that 1593.97 hectares of forest land are used in Andhra Pradesh for non-forestry purposes from April 1, 2019 to April 31, 2024, under the Van (Sanrakshan Aevam Samvardhan) Adhinium, 1980 Act.
The forest cover in AP increased from 29,137 hectares in 2019 to 29,784 hectares in 2021, he said in reply to a question in Parliament.
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) evaluates forest cover biennially. According to the latest India State of Forest Report released in 2021, the country's total forest cover was 7,13,789 sq-km, accounting for 21.71 per cent of the country's geographical area.
The tree cover increased by 721sq-km during the 2019 – 2021 term, with no tree cover loss reported during this period.
The minister also highlighted the proposals for developmental activities within national parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves and tiger corridors. The list of activities requiring environmental clearance inside eco-sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries are forwarded by the state governments for consideration by the standing committee of the national board for wild life, he said.