JK doesn’t figure among India’s 15 green states

Srinagar, Apr 17: With less 33 per cent forest cover, Jammu and Kashmir does not figure among the top 15 green states in India.
As per the latest study by the Forest Survey of India, titled ‘India State of Forest -2017’, only 15 states in the country made it to the list of the most-green states, each of which have more than 33 per cent of their occupied by forests.
Lakshadweep is at the top with 90 per cent forest cover, followed by Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur with 86.27 %, 81.73 %, 79.96 %, and 77.69 %, respectively.
The list mostly comprises of north-eastern states of India including Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
Jammu and Kashmir at present has its forest cover stretching over 23,241 square kilometers, which is 10.46 per cent of its total geographical area of 1,01,387 square kilometers.
It includes the addition of 253 square kilometers to the forest cover in the in the last two years.
Forests cover India’s 7, 08,273 square kilometer, which is 21.54% of the country’s geographical area.
According to the study, the forests in Jammu and Kashmir are “moderately dense” as compared to the states with “dense forests”.
A vast forest area in J&K is not demarcated.
Even as the state government made a proposal for it about seven years ago, the idea is yet to be executed by the department concerned.
Besides the threat of encroachments, the forests in the state have been witnessing a rise in the number and frequency of fire incidents.
Last month, a vast area of forests in Bandipora and Srinagar districts was devastated by fire.
In 2016, as many as 781 incidents of forest fire were reported.