Question

Which state has the lowest area under forest?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Punjab
c. Gujarat
d. Haryana

Answer 1

Hint:
- This state only covers 1.37% of the total geographical area of the nation.
- This state only constitutes 2% of the nation’s entire population.
- The State emerged as an independent State of the Indian Republic on 1 November 1966.

Complete solution:
> Haryana is a state on the north side of the world. It's the 22nd in terms of area. Chandigarh is the capital of Haryana. Faridabad is said to be the the most populous city in the state, whereas the financial centre that leads in the state is considered to be Gurugram.
> Since 2000, Haryana has the 5th highest per capita income among the Indian states and territories as India's largest recipient of per capita investment. The GSDP state of Haryana is the 12th largest in India. Faridabad has been described as the 8th fastest growing city in the world and the 3rd largest in India.
> In services, Gurugram ranks number 1 in India for IT development and existing technology infrastructure, and number 2 for start-up ecosystems, creativity and viability. Haryana is the 7th highest ranked human development index among Indian states.

Following are the given options:
a. Uttar Pradesh is a northern Indian state. With some 200 million people, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous subdivision in the world. The State registered an area of 16,582 sq km of forest recorded area (RFA), which is 6.88 percent of its geographical area. Thus, Option A is incorrect.
b. Punjab, a state bordering Pakistan, is the heart of the Sikh community of India. The town of Amritsar was established during the 1570s by the great Sikh Guru Ram Das which is home to Harmandir Sahib, the holiest gurdwara. The forest area of the state reported is 3,084 sq km which represents 6.12 per cent of its geographical area. Thus, Option B is incorrect.
c. Gujarat is a state located on the western coast of India and a population of 60.4 million. It is the fifth-largest Indian state by area and the ninth-largest nation by population. The forest area registered in the state is 18,927 km, which is 9.66% of the geographical area. Thus, Option C is also incorrect.
d. In 2017, Haryana had the lowest forest cover compared to India's total geographical area of 6.79 per cent. As per the Indian State Forest Survey, FSI, 2013, the state forest cover is 1586 sq. km, which is 3.59 per cent of the state's geographical area. Thus, Option D is correct.

Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Note:
- In terms of forest cover as a percentage of total geographical area, Mizoram ranks first with 85.41 per cent followed by Arunachal Pradesh (79.63 per cent), Meghalaya (76.33 per cent), Manipur (75.46 per cent) and Nagaland. These are the top five countries (75.31 percent ) in terms of forest area.
- In 2016–17, 18,412 hectares were planted under the tree cover by 14,1 million seedlings in the state of Haryana.
- Haryana has two national parks,two wildlife conservation areas, eight wildlife sanctuaries, four animal as well as bird breeding centres, three zoos, one deer park, all which are managed by the Haryana Forest Department of the Government of Haryana.