Guwahati: While the country’s overall tree cover increased between 2021 and 2023, Assam, a state in the Northeast, experienced a significant loss of forest cover.
According to the India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR 2023), released on Saturday, Assam’s forest cover declined by 83.92 square kilometers between 2021 and 2023. The state’s canopy density inside protected forests has also degraded in an area spanning 1,699 square kilometers.
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On a brighter note, India’s total forest and tree cover increased by 1,445 square kilometers during the same period.
Northeastern Region Faces Challenges
The northeastern region of India, which includes Assam, bore the brunt of forest loss. The eight states in the region collectively lost 327.3 square kilometers of forest cover, with Mizoram suffering the most significant decline (178.42 square kilometers).
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Despite the loss, Arunachal Pradesh, another northeastern state, retains the top spot in India for carbon stock, boasting an impressive 1,021 million tonnes.
Assam contributes 272 million tonnes to the region’s carbon stock, along with Manipur (175 Mt), Meghalaya (183 Mt), Mizoram (168 Mt), Nagaland (132 Mt), Sikkim (56 Mt), and Tripura (74 Mt).
Concerns Rise Over Rubber Plantations
The report also raises concerns about the environmental impact of large-scale rubber plantation projects in Tripura, another state in the northeast. The conversion of natural forests into monoculture rubber plantations disrupts the ecological balance and threatens biodiversity.
A recent study revealed that rubber plantations now cover 11.90% of Tripura’s geographical area and a staggering 16.17% of the state’s total forest area. South Tripura district has the highest concentration of rubber plantations, at 35,537 square kilometers.