"Comparison of current satellite data (Oct-Dec 2006) with the previous satellite data (Oct-Dec 2004) shows a loss of 11 sq km of forest cover," says the India State of Forest report 2009, published by the FSI, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India.
According to the report released a week ago, the main cause for decline in forest cover in the state is the coupe works (cutting of trees) in Chandrapur district. Other reasons include the increase in water levels in some water bodies and clearance of private forest in the Konkan region.
The overall reduction has been calculated considering the geographical areas, very dense forest, moderately dense forest and open forest.
Forest cover in Maharashtra is 50,650 sq km, that is 16.46 per cent of the total geographical area of the state. The state has 8,739 sq km of very dense forest, while the area under moderately dense forest is 20,834 sq km. Open forest in the state consists of 21,077 sq km.
"The satellite pictures only indicate the larger picture. If tree cutting has taken place on a smaller scale in the forests, then it will not be reflected on the satellite pictures. So the report has not mentioned this," Tejinder Singh, regional director (central zone), FSI told TOI.
Only six districts have seen a change in forest cover. Reduction in forest cover has taken place in Chandrapur, Ratnagiri, Solapur and Wardha, whereas there has been an increase in forest cover in Nagpur and Gadchiroli.
All other districts have remained more or less constant. This includes Pune district.
The report states that Pune has 11.07 per cent of forest cover. The total area under forest cover in Pune is 1,732 sq km and includes 757 sq km of moderately dense forest and 975 sq km of open forest.
Maharashtra has six national parks and 35 wildlife sanctuaries. There are also the three tiger reserves of Tadoba, Melghat and Pench. These protected forest areas constitute around five per cent of the total geographical area of the state.
Asked what steps would be taken to prevent further loss of forest cover, Patangrao Kadam, state forest minister pointed out that better planning would have to be done. "We have started hold section-wise meetings so that planning can be done at every level, even the lowest. We will focus on areas where forest cover has been reduced. In the next couple of years this cover will be increased," he said.
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