Overall, the forest cover constitutes just 3.65 per cent of Haryana’s geographical area. Of this, only 0.06 per cent is covered by very dense forests, one per cent by moderately dense forests, and 2.59 per cent by open forests.In neighbouring Punjab, which has a total geographical area of 50,362 square kilometres, the forest cover decreased by 0.45 square kilometres in 2023 compared to 2021. The forest area dropped to 1,846.09 square kilometres from 1,846.54 square kilometres in 2021.The forest cover in Punjab stands at just 3.67 per cent. However, the tree cover increased significantly, rising from 1,297.93 square kilometres in 2021 to 1,465.15 square kilometres in 2023—an increase of 177.22 square kilometres.According to the 2023 report, Punjab has very dense forests in 9.44 square kilometres, compared to 11 square kilometres in 2021. Moderately dense forests cover 784.89 square kilometres, down from 793 square kilometres in 2021. Meanwhile, open forests expanded slightly to 1,051.76 square kilometres, up from 1,043 square kilometres in 2021, bringing the total forest cover to 1,846.09 square kilometres—a decline of 0.45 square kilometres.Punjab has reserved forests covering 44 square kilometres, protected forests spanning 1,137 square kilometres, and unclassed forests extending across 1,903 square kilometres. The total recorded forest area amounts to 3,084 square kilometres, which represents 6.12 per cent of the state’s geographical area.Additionally, the report noted that Punjab witnessed a sharp rise in forest fires, with 605 incidents recorded in 2023-24, up from just 119 fires in 2022-23.
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