New Delhi, July 28 -- Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh on Monday stated that the forest and tree cover in the country have increased by 156.41 square kilometres and 1289.40 square kilometres, respectively.

The Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, during a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said that as per the India State of Forest Report-2023 published by the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, the forest cover and tree cover in the country have increased by 156.41 square kilometres and 1289.40 square kilometres, respectively, as compared to the assessment published in ISFR-2021.

"Protection and management of forests and tree cover are primarily the responsibilities of the State...