Staff Reporter
Guwahati: At a time when climate change is threatening the Northeast region, along with the world, forest cover has been decreasing in Assam and five other NE states. Another concerning factor is diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes in many NE states, including Assam.
According to available information, forest cover has decreased by 11.76 sq. km. in Assam in the period between 2021 and 2023.
Meanwhile, within a span of five years - from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025 - a total of 1879.59 hectares (ha) of forest land in Assam were diverted for non-forestry purposes under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adiniyam, 1980.
As per the India State Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, of the total geographical area of 78,438 sq km in Assam, the total forest cover decreased from 28,325.31 sq km in 2021 to 28,313.55 sq km in 2023. The ISFR is published every two years, and the report for 2025 is still not available, as the study is considered time-consuming. As soon as ISFR 2025 is published, it will be possible to discern the extent of forest cover in the state.
Apart from Assam, the forest cover in five other NE states has also decreased during the two-year period in question. Arunachal Pradesh recorded a 91.17 sq km loss in forest cover; Manipur, 54.83 sq km; Meghalaya, 30 sq km; Nagaland, 51.80 sq km; and Tripura recorded a forest cover loss of 95.31 sq km. Thus, the six NE states have witnessed a 334.96-sq-km decrease in forest cover.
Along with loss of forest cover, diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes has also been continuing unabated in Assam. In the year 2020-2021, a forest area comprising 1157.35 hectares was approved for diversion for various development works, particularly infrastructure. In 2021-2022, a forest area of 133.43 hectares was diverted; in 2022-2023, it was 45.42 hectares; in 2023-24, it was 363 hectares; and in 2024-25, the diversion of forest land was effected in 180.40 hectares. Thus, the total area of forest land in Assam diverted for non-forest use was 1879.59 hectares over five years.
In line with the diversion of forest land in Assam, other NE states witnessed a similar trend. The diversion of forest land in Arunachal Pradesh was 6656.84 ha, in Manipur 1720.11 ha, in Meghalaya 40.01 ha, in Mizoram 433.99 ha, and in Tripura the forest area diverted was 1090.01 ha. Therefore, the six NE states, including Assam, witnessed a 11820.55 ha diversion of forest land in five years.
From time to time, the Assam government carries out plantation drives. The latest such drive was conducted on World Environment Day on June 5. It has been noticed that planting of saplings does not prove to be effective, as there is no maintenance and the saplings die after some time.
It is high time the governments of Assam and other NE states mull increasing forest cover by planting more trees and checking the diversion of forest land to protect the NE's fragile environment in the face of the heightened threat of climate change.
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