ITANAGAR, 15 Jan: The office of the principal chief conservator of forests on Wednesday clarified that the loss of forest cover in Arunachal Pradesh during 2021 and 2023 assessment period is -91.17 square kilometres (sq kms) and not 549 square kilometres as mentioned in the press report of ATNS in the news item titled “CM praises efforts to increase forest cover in Arunachal,” published in this daily on 4 January.
ATNS stated that Arunachal Pradesh reportedly lost 549 square kilometres (sq kms) of forest cover between 2021 and 2023, with the total area under forest cover in the state now at 65,881.57 sq kms (78.67%), according to India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2023.” It added that the state’s total forest cover in 2021 was estimated at 66,431 sq kms (79.33%).
Deputy conservator of forests (GIS&IT) Manish Kumar Jha stated that “the information is inaccurate as it relies upon the older version of the State of Forest Report 2021 (SFR 2021), published by the Forest Survey of India. The data regarding forest cover in Arunachal Pradesh relating to the period of SFR 2021 was subsequently reviewed by Forest Survey of India and revised.” Accordingly, Jha said “the corrected extent of forest cover in Arunachal Pradesh as per SFR 2021 is 65972.74 sq. km and not 66431 sq.km as was initially reported.”
