Parliament Question: Use of Satellites to Monitor Mountain Vegetation

OIH GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2741 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026 Use of Satellites to Monitor Mountain Vegetation

2741. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to

state:

(a) whether it is true that the satellites are being used to monitor mountain vegetation in the country;

(b) if so, the details of the mountains along with the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has any data regarding the loss of mountain vegetation;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether any suggestions have been issued to the concerned State/UT Government by the Central Government regarding reforestation of such mountains? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (d) Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, carries out the assessment of forest and tree cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The forest cover assessment is a wall to wall mapping exercised based on remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification and field data from the National Forest Inventory.

As per ISFR-2023, Forest cover in the hills districts of the country is 2,83,713.20 square kilometers, which is 40% of the total geographical area of these districts. Between ISFR 2021 and ISFR 2023, Forest Cover in hill districts of the country has increased by 234.14 square kilometer.

(e) The Ministry provides technical and financial support to the States and Union Territories through various schemes and programmes of the Central Government for increasing forest and tree cover, including protection, conservation and sustainable management of forests in the country.

These include, inter alia, the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), Nagar Van Yojana (NVY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, and forest fire prevention and management schemes.

In addition, States and Union Territories implement State-specific afforestation, reforestation and forest conservation schemes in accordance with their ecological, climatic and geographic conditions.

Further, a plantation campaign “एक पेड़ माँ के नाम #Plant 4 Mother” has also been launched on the occasion of World Environment Day 2024 and in the current year also to undertake plantationactivities across the country. This campaign follows the “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach with participation of all stakeholders for increasing the green cover in the country. The campaign has contributed to large scale plantation aiding the enhancement of green cover in the country.

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