Q. With respect to the forest survey report 2021, consider the following statements:

1. There has been an increase in the forest cover and tree cover but decrease in mangrove forest cover.
2. Odisha shows the maximum increase in the mangrove forest cover.
3. Carbon stock of the country has been decreased as compared to 2019.
4. Andhra Pradesh followed by Telangana and Odisha records the maximum increase in forest cover.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: Only 2 & 4
Notes: The 'India State of Forest Report 2021' by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) details forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock, carbon stock, forest fire monitoring, and biomass estimates in India. The total forest and tree cover is 80.9 million hectares, accounting for 24.62% of the country's area, with an increase of 2,261 sq km (1,540 sq km in forest cover and 721 sq km in tree cover). Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha are the top states for forest cover increase. Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest area, while Mizoram leads in percentage of area covered by forests (84.53%). Seventeen states/UTs have over 33% forest cover, with five exceeding 75%. Total mangrove cover is 4,992 sq km, with Odisha, Maharashtra, and Karnataka showing the most growth. The total carbon stock in forests is 7,204 million tonnes, reflecting an increase of 79.4 million tonnes since 2019.

This question is part of UPSC Daily 20 MCQ Series Course on GKToday Android app.