Forests In Haryana

Haryana is an agriculture based state with a total geographical area of 44,212 sq. km out of which 1,553 sq. km is under permanent forest cover. Forestry activities in the state are dispersed over the rugged Shivalik Hills in the North, Aravalli Hills in the South, sand dunes in the South-West, other wastelands and water-logged, saline and alkaline soils in the Central part of the State. Against the National Forest Policy (1988) of maintaining forest cover over one-third of the area, only 3.52% of the total geographical area in Haryana has been notified as forest area.

Haryana, an intensively cultivated state but is deficient in natural forests. Forests are mainly distributed in the Northern and South-Eastern districts of the state. There are three forest types, the Tropical Dry Deciduous in the Eastern part, Tropical Moist Deciduous in the Shivalik region and Tropical Thorn Forests in the Western part of the State. Forests are important source of income for rural poor and add little to the economy of the state.

Due to large scale plantation initiated by Forest Department on non-forest lands i.e. Community lands, Panchayat lands, Institutional lands, private wastelands etc. as well as adoption of tree farming by farmers on their holdings the total forest and tree cover of the state has become 6.6%. The Forest Department has set a goal to bring 10% of area under forest and tree cover by 2010.