Madhya Pradesh loses forest cover equal to Indore's size

In Madhya Pradesh, forest cover has decreased by an area equivalent to the size of Indore city, as highlighted in the State of Forest Report 2023 released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The loss of 612.41 sq km of forest area in Madhya Pradesh over the past two years presents a concerning picture for the state's green landscape. On the brighter side, India’s overall green cover has seen an increase. The country now boasts 8,27,356.95 sq km of forest and tree cover, accounting for approximately 25 percent of India’s total land area. This includes 22 percent forest cover and 3 percent tree cover. Compared to 2021, India’s forest cover has grown by about 156 sq km, while tree cover has expanded significantly by 14,445 sq km. Among states, Maharashtra leads with the highest forest cover, spanning 14,524.88 sq km. 

The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a hotspot for deforestation and tree loss, with the steepest decline in forest cover among all Indian states between 2019 and 2023. Madhya Pradesh lost 612.41 sq km of forest area—comparable to the size of Indore city (530 square kilometers)—during this period. It also topped the list for reductions in tree cover outside forest areas, with a loss of 344.77 sq km, highlighting the dual challenges of shrinking green spaces both within and beyond designated forests. 

Green cover in Madhya Pradesh

In this report, Madhya Pradesh has a total green cover of 77,073.44 sq km, accounting for 25 percent of its total area. This includes 2 percent classified as extremely dense forest, approximately 11 percent as moderately dense forest, 12 percent as open forest, and 1 percent as shrubland.

In the last State Forest Report of 2021, Madhya Pradesh had the largest forest cover in India, with a recorded forest area of 94,689 sq km. However, the state has witnessed a significant decline of 18.6 percent in its recorded forest area since then.

Providing a clear answer as to why Madhya Pradesh's forest area has declined remains challenging Dr Omprakash D Madguni, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal, explains,

"This is actually a survey of how much greenery has grown in the form of forests in the country. Satellite data tells us how much forest and tree cover has increased or decreased. But the report doesn't explain why.”

 Rishabh Srivastava of The Analyst, a Madhya Pradesh-based think tank, also shares that there is a possibility of reduction in forest cover due to mining and agriculture in Madhya Pradesh, but nothing can be said conclusively.

Dr. Madguni adds that fragmentation of forests has also taken place in Madhya Pradesh.

"Earlier, one forest was connected to another forest, which has now been broken. It has also reduced the quality of forests and increased man-animal conflict,” he points.

Districtwise analysis

Mandla district has the highest forest cover of 3,411.39 sq km. But if one looks at the presence of forest cover within a district, about 55 percent of Umaria is under forest cover. Dindori district has the highest density of forests at 629.31 sq km. In the last two years, Ratlam has seen the highest increase of 38.81 sq km of forest area.

Shajapur is the least forested district in Madhya Pradesh, with just 29 sq km of forest cover. Both Shajapur and Ujjain have less than 1 percent forest cover in their total area. Among the districts, Damoh has seen a significant reduction, losing approximately 85 sq km of forest cover in the last two years.

Notably, Ujjain—home to the chief minister—along with Indore, Agar Malwa, Ratlam, Rajgarh, Bhind, Barwani, Alirajpur, Dhar, and Datia, lacks very dense forests.

Rishabh Srivastava highlights a concerning statistic: 

"In Madhya Pradesh, 5,353 sq km of forest area has degraded into non-forest land, making it irrecoverable. This degradation has led to a decline in extremely dense forests, resulting in biodiversity loss and weakening the state's carbon sink capabilities."

He emphasises that not only has the forest cover decreased, but the quality of the remaining forests has also deteriorated significantly.

Biodiversity

 The forests of Madhya Pradesh are home to a rich variety of plant species. According to the report, the state has the highest number of teak trees in the country, with an impressive count of 3,48,017. Following teak, sal and tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) are the most abundant species in the state's forests. 

The report also sheds light on tree species in rural areas. Butea monosperma, commonly known as Palash, dominates with 76,206 trees, making it the most prevalent species in rural Madhya Pradesh. After Palash, Kikar and Ber are the next most commonly found trees in villages. In urban areas, guava trees lead the count, with 1,935 trees recorded.

Madhya Pradesh also stands out for its bamboo cultivation. The state has the largest bamboo-growing area in India, covering 20,421 sq km. In the last two years alone, this area has increased by 2,027 sq km. In terms of bamboo expansion, Madhya Pradesh ranks second after Arunachal Pradesh in growth.

The report also mentions the area where invasive species like Lantana and Cassia spread in Madhya Pradesh. According to the report, the prevalence of Lantana is 5, 914.49 sq km and that of Cassia is 4, 579.87 sq km.

Forest Fires

The report also mentions a significant decrease in forest fires in Madhya Pradesh, though a large part is still vulnerable. In Madhya Pradesh, 17,142 forest fires have been reported in 2022–23 and 15,878 in 2023–24. In the year 2022-23, maximum forest fire incidents have taken place in the forests of Chhindwara (1405) and Raisen (1352). In the year 2023-24, 1696 forest fires have been identified in Raisen, 1265 in Dewas, and 1306 in Sehore.

In these two years, 33,020 such incidents have taken place in which the forests of the state have been burnt. According to the report, around 37 percent of the state's forest cover is under threat of large-scale forest fires. 

Carbon Sink

India has set a target to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 through green cover. According to government data, the country has achieved a carbon sink of 1.97 billion metric tonnes.

We all know that forests are an important carbon sink in themselves. According to the latest forest status report, India's carbon stock has increased by 81.5 Mt from the previous survey to 7,285.5 Mt. At the same time, the carbon stock has increased by 40.75 Mt during the year, which is equivalent to 149.42 Mt of carbon dioxide.

The largest share of this carbon stock, 55 percent, is the carbon stored in forest soils. After soil, AGB (above ground biomass) accounts for 32 percent of the carbon stock. At the same time, BGB (Bilow Ground Biomass) has a share of 10 percent in the carbon stock. Here AGB refers to the living part of the forest that is above the soil, and BGB refers to the biomass accumulated in the living roots of the trees within the soil.

Experts say that it is not enough to just increase the area of forests in India; it is also necessary to increase density of trees within forests. In response to this report, experts assert that despite the government's commendable efforts to expand the area, the primary issue remains the deforestation that occurs in the name of development.

Obviously, there has been an increase in forest cover, the amount of emerald wood, and carbon stocks across the country, but the negative noise trends of this ploughing cannot be ignored.

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