State of forest in India

There is an increase in the forest cover to the tune of 3,775 sq km compared to the assessment done by FSI, Government of India and on its outset it looks as if India is doing very well on this frontier but the scenario is other way round, the country is doing well on the plantation forest but the country looks loosing on the natural forest front. The country is losing some of the prime natural forest in many of the states and union territories .Out of the 29 states and 7 union territories (UT) 24 states and 4 UTs have shown decline in forest cover as shown in the ISFR ,2015 and there is a huge decline in moderately dense forest (MDF) and it is to the tune of (-) 3913 sq km .There has also been a decline in very dense forest (VDF) to the tune of (-) 201 sq km and so has open forest to the level of (-) 690 sq km. Hill districts also show a decline in the VDF and MDF and OF. There is an urgent need to define deforestation, felling a tree, and trees because the concept and dimension of deforestation will immediately change once the definitions are formalized. The country also needs to keep track of the database on deforestation, forest fire, and other parameters with immediate effect.