Shimla, Oct. 7 -- Himachal Pradesh has reaffirmed its role as one of India's greenest and environmentally progressive states, registering a major increase in both the forest and tree cover over the past two decades, stated Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
According to the bi-annual assessments by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the state's total forest cover has grown by 1,227.35 sq. km, rising from 14,353 sq. km in 2003 to 15,580.4 sq. km in 2023, thus marking an increase from 25.73 to 28 percent of the state's total geographical area as of date.
Similarly, the tree cover of Himachal Pradesh has expanded by 364.07 sq. km, from 491 sq. km in 2003 to 855.07 sq. km in 2023, reflecting growth from 0.88 percent to 1.53 pc of the total...