Maharashtra's tiger count increases to 444, forest cover decreases

Mumbai: In what comes as great news, Maharashtra’s tiger population has climbed from 312 in 2018 to 444 in 2022, according to the quadrennial Status of Tigers in India 2022 report of National Tiger Conservation Authority.

However, according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, the total forest cover in the State is 50,859 sq km, reflecting a decrease of 54.47 sq km over the ISFR 2021 assessment.

The State’s forest cover constitutes 16.5 per cent of its geographical area, which remains below the 33 per cent target outlined in the National Forest Policy, 1988. Out of total forest cover, 19.4 per cent is classified as very dense forest, 42.4 per cent as moderately dense forest and 38.2 per cent as open forest.

On the other hand, Maharashtra’s tree cover — patches of trees and isolated trees spread over areas of less than one hectare, located outside the recorded forest area — has shown a significant increase over the decade. As per ISFR 2023, the State ranks first in the country with a tree cover of 14,525 sq km.

These details comprises part of the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2025-25 tabled during the budget session on Thursday.

The State’s protected wildlife network comprises a total of 88 notified areas covering 11,091.74 sq km.

As per the ISFR 2023, the State has a total mangrove cover of 315.09 sq km, accounting for 6.3 per cent of the country’s total mangrove cover. Around 11,548 ha of mangrove area have been declared as reserved forests under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 to strengthen mangrove conservation. Mangrove Conservation and Livelihood Generation Scheme is implemented by the State since 2017, with active participation of local communities across the coastal belt, covering 199 villages in the districts of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

By the end of 2024-25, the State’s forest area stood more than 62 thousand sq km, representing 20.2 per cent of its total geographical area. This area is distributed among the Forest Department (55,850.87 sq km), the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) (3,548.36 sq km), private forests under the Forest Department’s possession (1,184.67 sq km) and the Revenue Department (1,432.52 sq km). As per the 2023-24 land-use statistics, forests form the second-largest land category after agricultural land.