NGT demands response from all states, UTs regarding loss of trees

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from all states and Union Territories regarding the loss of trees, saying it is a "pan-India" issue.

The green body was hearing the issue of the alleged loss of 2.33 million hectares of tree cover in the country since 2000.

In an order dated November 18, a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad noted the submissions of the counsel for the Survey of India about the information about forest cover being prepared and maintained by the Forest Survey of India.

"We accordingly direct Forest Survey of India through Director General, Dehradun to submit a report showing the position of forest cover in India with specific reference to northeast from the year 2000 onwards with each five-year interval covering the period up to March 2024," the tribunal said.

"Having also considered the issue that loss of trees is Pan India and therefore individual States and Union Territories should also submit their reports with regard to such loss of trees," it added.

The tribunal impleaded as parties or respondents all states and UTs and directed them to provide relevant details, such as the present status of forests, factors responsible for loss of forest cover and action taken report for conservation and management of forest.

Recently, the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Forest Survey of India (FSI) have refuted the data of the Global Forest Watch about the country losing around 6 per cent of its forest cover since 2000.