Meghalaya sees 84 sq km decrease in forest cover between 2021-2023: ISFR

Meghalaya lost over 84 sq km forest cover between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR).

Except for Sikkim, which reported an increase of 2 sq km forest cover, all other states in the northeast region witnessed a reduction of the area under forests, it said.

The region, with 7.98 per cent of land area, collectively contributes 21.08 per cent of India's forest and tree cover, the ISFR, 2023, said.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, had launched the report at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on Saturday. It showed a nationwide increase of 1,445 sq km in total forest and tree cover recorded since 2021.

While the study did not specify what caused the loss of forest cover in Meghalaya, forest officials in the state said human activities, including agricultural expansion, increased settlement and infrastructure development are suspected to be the reasons.

The report also made mention about jhum cultivation' or the slash and burn' method of clearing forests to cultivate ginger and broom grass, among others.

"Widescale jhum cultivation holds cultural and economic importance for local communities; its ecological costs are immense," it stated.

The decrease in forest cover is part of a larger trend in the entire northeast region, with Nagaland recording the highest loss of forest cover (125.22 sq km), followed by Tripura (100.22 sq km), Meghalaya (84.07 sq km) and Assam (83.92 sq km), the report added.