Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav released the India State of Forest Report 2023, the previous week, which shows the bleak situation, revealing that Haryana's dense forest cover witnessed a decline.
The report reveals that since 2021, Haryana's forest cover has dwindled to very dense and moderately dense forests, while open forests and scrubland showed a slight growth.
The report then compares the data from 2021 and 2023 and spotlights a decline of 0.83 square kilometres (3 per cent) in very dense forests as well as 4.2 square kilometres (approximately 1 per cent) in moderately dense forests.
In contrast, the open forests in the state witnessed an expansion, marginally, from 1,130.10 square kilometres in 2021 to 1,145.91 square kilometres last year.
The scrubland area also expanded, rising from 158.93 square kilometres (0.36%) to 174.38 square kilometres (0.39%) over the same period.
The report indicates that fifteen of 22 districts of Haryana experienced a reduction in their forest cover, with Rohtak seeing a notable drop at 4.28 per cent.
Mewat follows Rohtak, closely with a 4.05 per cent decrease. However, Ambala stood out as the only district to report a substantial rise, with a 4.08 per cent rise in forest cover between 2021-2023.
The findings suggest that while there are some positive developments in specific areas, the overall trend points to a worrying decline in forest cover in many parts of Haryana.
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