New Delhi, May 10 -- India has reported that its forest and tree cover now encompasses 25.17% of its geographical area at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), while highlighting several national conservation initiatives, the environment ministry said on Friday. The statistic, part of the latest State of Forest report, was presented at the UNFF being held at the UN Headquarters in New York from May 5 to 9, where India detailed a "consistent increase" in forest and tree cover resulting from key programmes. These initiatives include "restoration of land under the Aravalli Green Wall, a 7.86% increase in mangrove cover over the past decade, afforestation of over 1.55 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission, and plantation of 1.4 billion seedlings under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign," the ministry statement noted. FULL REPORT ON P11...