Jharkhand's Forest Cover Grows by 44.64 sq km: The Green Progress

The India State of Forest Report 2023 reveals Jharkhand experienced a slight growth in forest cover by 44.64 sq km, achieving 29.81% of its geographical area. Despite modest gains compared to neighboring states, the report highlights increased very dense forest regions in Jharkhand.

In a slight victory for environmentalists, Jharkhand has registered a modest increase of 44.64 sq km in forest cover between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest India State of Forest Report 2023 unveiled on Saturday by Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav.

The report, released at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, indicates that Jharkhand's forest area now makes up 29.81 percent of the state's total geographical area, with considerable gains noted in very dense forest regions. This comes despite the state making only slight advancements compared to its neighbors.

Nationally, India's forest cover extends to 715,343 sq km, accounting for 21.76 percent of the country's total land, whereas tree cover constitutes an additional 3.41 percent. The modest increase in Jharkhand underscores the varied progress across Indian states in ecological preservation efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)