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State Forestry Action Programmes ( SFAPs ) | |
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State Forestry Action Programmes ( SFAPs ) | |
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FOREST
INVENTORY
Forest Survey of
India (FSI) at Dehra Dun is the premier institute for Forest Inventory
necessary for the planned development of forestry. The objectives of FSI
inter alia include the assessment of forest cover, growing stock and
monitoring of changes in forest structure, species composition and other
details of forest cover. It brings out biennial report 'State of Forest
Report' based on visual and digital interpretation of satellite data.
The 'State of Forest Report, 1997' is the latest report of the
institute. The institute at present has the limitation to monitor the
forest/tree cover of less than 25 hectare. This limitation needs to be
addressed. The institute also needs strengthening of infrastructure.
According to a study of FSI in 1996, the total requirement of fuel-wood in the country is around 201 million tonnes. Out of this, roughly 103 million tonnes comes from the forest areas (including plantation), which constitutes nearly 51 percent of the total requirement, and the balance 98 million tonnes come form farm forestry sector including plantation on common lands. As per estimates (FSI,1995), the incremental growth of India's forests in terms of fuel-wood is around 26.3 million cu.m (21 million tonnes) per year. Of this, around 17 cu.m tonnes is available on sustained basis. In this way, nearly 86 million tonnes of fuel-wood is being removed from the forests and plantations of India every year in excess of what they are capable of producing on a sustained basis. The projected demands of fuel-wood for 2001 and 2006 are 223 and 247 million tonnes respectively.
TIMBER The total demand of timber has been estimated at 64 million cu.m in 1996, which will rise to 73 and 82 million cu.m in 2001 and 2006 respectively. Out of 64 million cu.m demand of timber, nearly 31 million cu.m comes from farm forestry and other woodlands and 12 million cu.m from forests. The balance 21 million cu.m is removed from plantations and from natural forests, largely (70%) as small timber to meet the domestic need. Study of FSI indicates that out of the total removal from forests around 70 percent is used as fuel-wood and 30 percent is used as small timber and timber. The great paradox is that the trees produce 70 percent timber and 30 percent fuel-wood and therefore, the accentuated demand for fuel-wood vary considerably exacerbates the situation leading to depletion of forests. FODDER Out of 445 million cattle in the country, nearly 270 million graze in forest areas. FSI has estimated (1996) that the requirements of green and dry fodder are 593 and 482 million tonnes respectively. The requirement of green and dry fodder will increase to 699 and 552 million tonnes in 2001 and 817 and 615 million tonnes respectively in 2006. It is generally agreed that nearly 30% of the fodder requirement of the country comes from the forest areas. Therefore, there is removal to the extent of 145 million tonnes of dry fodder and 178 million tonnes of green fodder annually from the forest areas of the country . In certain cases lopping of trees during crunch period is a common practice and this has been causing considerable depletion of the forest resources. 
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