From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Despite rise in forest cover in all parts of the country the same has decreased in the Northeast barring only marginally in Meghalaya, which is a matter of serious concern.
This was revealed in a report prepared by Forest Survey of India, which was made public on June 8.
The region, ironically, one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots comprising of as many eight states constitute only 7.98 percent of the geographical area of the country but account for only one fourth of the total forest.
The current total forest cover of the region is 172,592 sq km, 627 sq km less as compared to the previous assessment in 2011. The maximum amount of forest loss was reported in Nagaland (274 sq km), followed by Tripura (111 sq km), Manipur (100 sq km) Arunachal Pradesh (89 sq km) Mizoram ( 63 sq km), Assam (2 sq km) and Sikkim (1 sq km).
Meghalaya is the only state in the region where an increase of 13 sq km of forest cover was reported, the survey said. However, in Meghalaya the heavy dense forest cover was reported to be only 416 sq km which is just two percent of the total forest area of the state. Moderately dense forest cover was found to be 43.20 percent, the report said.
Out of the seven districts, Ri Bhoi, West Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills were reported to have a negative growth in forest cover.
While the increase was attributed to protection, regeneration and afforestation endeavours by the State Forest Department, the decrease was attributed largely to shifting cultivation and biotic pressure, the report added.
