Chhattisgarh is smaller than Madhya Pradesh in total area. Yet it beats Madhya Pradesh in one number. Chhattisgarh has the highest percentage of forest cover of any large central Indian state.
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Forest cover of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha
- Definition Forest cover means all land over one hectare with tree canopy density above 10 percent. It counts regardless of ownership or legal status.
- Ranking Among these four states, Chhattisgarh has the highest forest cover as a percentage of its own area. Maharashtra has the lowest.
- Ascending order Ranked lowest to highest percentage, the order is Maharashtra, then Madhya Pradesh, then Odisha, then Chhattisgarh.
- Source The Forest Survey of India measures this data. It publishes the biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR).
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Approximate percentages from the India State of Forest Report
- Maharashtra Forest cover is about 16.5 percent of its total geographical area. This is the lowest share among the four states.
- Madhya Pradesh Forest cover is about 25.1 percent of its area. It has the largest forest cover by absolute area in India, but a smaller share of its own large territory.
- Odisha Forest cover is about 33 percent of its area. This puts it well ahead of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on this measure.
- Chhattisgarh Forest cover is about 41 percent of its area. This is the highest share among the four states, and one of the highest in India outside the northeast.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2019 — Ascending order of forest cover percentage
- UPSC 2019 The correct ascending order of forest-cover percentage is Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh. This matches option (c), coded 3-2-4-1 in the original question. See UPSC CSP 2019 GS Paper I, Q33. View this question.
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Why forest-cover percentage can mislead, and what drives these numbers
- Area effect A small state can show a high percentage with a modest forest area. A large state can show a low percentage despite a huge forest area. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh illustrate this exactly.
- Geography Chhattisgarh’s high share comes from its central highlands and the Bastar plateau. Much of this land was never suited to intensive farming, so forest survived there.
- Maharashtra’s low share Maharashtra is dominated by the Deccan plateau and long-cultivated black-soil tracts. Centuries of agriculture and dense population reduced its natural forest share.
- Stability of ranking This four-state ranking has stayed the same across recent ISFR editions. The percentages shift slightly each cycle, but the ordering has not changed.
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