Lucknow, Dec 13 (IANS) For the first time since Uttar Pradesh lost some of its prime forest areas due to the creation of Uttarakhand, the state’s forest cover has registered an increase — though marginally.
“Even though the rise is marginal, it is quite significant considering the fact that green cover is gradually going down in most parts of the country,” Uttar Pradesh’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests D.N.S. Suman told IANS here.

According to the Forest Survey of India, Uttar Pradesh’s forest cover had gone up by about 214 square km over the past two years, since the last survey was carried out in the state.

“In terms of percentage, this may not appear really great, yet it reflects a positive trend,” Suman said, adding that the green cover has increased from 5.86 percent to 5.95 percent of the state’s total area.

Uttar Pradesh’s forest cover, which stood at 14,127 square km in 2007, has gone up to 14,341 sq km, as per the survey carried out in November this year.

The survey has also recorded a substantial rise in the density of the forest cover.

The report was prepared on the basis of satellite data collected from 17 districts - Agra, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Bahraich, Ballia, Bijnore, Etah, Gautam Budh Nagar, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Lakhimpur-Kheri, Maharajganj, Mirzapur, Rae Bareli, Rampur, Shahjahanpur and Unnao.