In a sign of worsening ecological disaster for Meghalaya, the State has seen its forest cover lost by 73 square kilometres.
The State has a total geographical area of 22,429 square kilometer.
As per India State of Forest Report 2019, Meghalaya has a total forest cover of 17,119 square kilometres.
However, as per the India State of Forest Report 2021, the total forest cover was reduced to 17,046 square kilometers.
Thus, in three years, the State lost 73 square kilometres of forest cover.
Meghalaya also figured as among the five states with major loss of forest cover in the country.
The five states which have seen major loss of forest cover are Arunachal Pradesh which lost 257 square kilometres, Manipur (249 sq km), Nagaland (235 sq km), Mizoram (186 sq km) and Meghalaya (73 sq km).
Shifting cultivation, felling of trees and developmental activities were attributed as the main cause of loss of forest cover in these five states.
Protection and management of forests is primarily the responsibility of the state governments.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial assistance to the State under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes namely Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme, Green India Mission, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and Development of Wildlife habitat (DWH). These schemes support in the conservation and restoration of forests including forest fire prevention and mitigation activities, ecological restoration of degraded forest areas through afforestation and reforestation activities, habitat improvement, soil and water conservation measures and protection etc.
In the last three years, Meghalaya received funds from the Centre under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
In 2020-21, the State got Rs 22.01 crore under CAMPA. In 2021-22, it received Rs 36.40 crore while in 2022-23, it received Rs 8.90 crore.
Further, under the ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ scheme, Meghalaya got 2.63 crore in 2020-21. The amount jumped to Rs 5.30 crore in 2021-22. No fund under the scheme was received by the State in 2022-23.
