Amidst the lack of unanimity and occasional discord amongst the comity of nations over environmental protection, it must be cause for immense satisfaction that there has been a six per cent increase (by 5188 square kilometres) in the country’s forest cover over the past two years. In terms of green cover, this is roughly the area of Delhi and Goa. And happily, the salutary message must be that there has been less of denudation and increased conservation.

Going by the data furnished by the central government on Monday, the generally impressive expansion in forest cover is testament to streamlined conservation, protection and afforestation and an impartal assessment would suggest that governments both at the Centre and in the states ought to be credited with the achievement.

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It is critical, therefore, to sustain the concerted endeavour. What urgently needs to be checked is deforestation, indeed the denudation of forest cover that is yet to be suitably addressed. As a corollary, wildlife in general cries out for protection, not least the elephant that all too often gets flung to its death alongside the railway tracks that run through forests, and hideously so in North Bengal.

Endangered too must be the tiger, as often as not a victim of poachers (as in the Sundarbans) who kill the regal species for the skin. The jungle and wildlife cannot naturally be separated. Protection of the inhabitants is no less crucial than protection of the forest. While it may not be easy to stop the use of forest wealth for fuel in a country that is predominantly rural, one must give it to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which has consideraby reduced the dependence of rural households on forests to cook their food.

There is, therefore, a vital link between the compulsions of the rural poor and the preservation and protection of forests. There are, however, a couple of disconcerting features that have been highlightedin the India State of Forest Report 2019, that was released by the environment minister,Prakash Javadekar, on Monday. For one thing, there has been a decrease in 330 sq km of forest in what they call “Recorded Forest Area”.

For another, there has been almost a relentless loss of forests in the North-east, a region that is known for old forests with the capacity to sink more carbon, in contrast to the newly developed green cover. The old forests are also important for conserving the country’s rich biodiversity. The decrease in the Recorded Forest Area would suggest that the forest authorities have not been able to improve or conserve the forest wealth of the country in its entirety. Conservation of forests calls for a holistic endeavour. It is imperative to buttress the forward movement of the dense jungles.