New Delhi, June 4: India has significantly expanded its forest and tree cover, strengthened wildlife conservation, improved waste management systems and achieved major climate commitments ahead of schedule over the past 12 years, according to a background paper released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Thursday.
The report, titled “India’s Green Transformation: Twelve Years of Vishwaas, Nirman and Jan Kalyaan,” highlights the country’s environmental achievements under three broad pillars — strengthening ecological resilience, building national capacity for sustainable development, and enhancing global environmental leadership.
According to the report, India’s forest and tree cover has increased to 8.27 lakh square kilometres, accounting for 25.17 per cent of the country’s geographical area, while forest carbon stock has reached 30.43 billion tonnes. The Green India Mission has received over ₹1,019 crore since 2015-16 for ecosystem restoration and climate resilience initiatives.
The report noted that more than 3.2 lakh hectares of compensatory afforestation have been undertaken under CAMPA between 2020-21 and 2024-25. It also highlighted the success of the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, under which over 262 crore saplings were planted by December 2025.
On river conservation, the government said the Namami Gange Programme has sanctioned 524 projects worth ₹43,030 crore. Of these, around 355 projects have been completed. Industrial pollution levels in the Ganga basin have declined significantly, with industrial biological oxygen demand (BOD) loads falling from 26 tonnes per day in 2017 to 10.75 tonnes per day in 2024.
The report also highlighted progress in wetland conservation, stating that the number of Ramsar sites in India increased from 26 in 2014 to 99 by April 2026. Mangrove cover expanded from 4,628 sq km in 2013 to 4,992 sq km in 2023 under restoration programmes such as MISHTI.
India’s wildlife conservation efforts have yielded notable gains, with the tiger population rising from 2,226 in 2014 to 3,682 in 2022. The number of tiger reserves has increased from 46 to 58. Asiatic lion numbers have grown from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025, while the country’s rhino population has crossed 4,000.
The report also cited the successful implementation of Project Cheetah, under which 29 cheetahs have been translocated from African countries since 2022, taking the total cheetah population in India to 53.
In the area of waste management, the report said scientific processing of municipal solid waste has increased from 17 per cent in 2014 to over 77 per cent in 2024. More than 877 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste have been cleared through biomining and bioremediation, reclaiming over 7,600 acres of land.
The government also reported significant progress in building a circular economy through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks. As of March 2026, India had processed over 417 lakh metric tonnes of waste under various recycling systems covering plastics, batteries, tyres, e-waste and used oil.
On climate action, the report stated that India achieved its target of reducing emissions intensity by 33-35 per cent from 2005 levels nearly 11 years ahead of schedule, recording a reduction exceeding 36 per cent. It also met its target of achieving 40 per cent non-fossil fuel electricity capacity nine years ahead of the 2030 deadline. Non-fossil sources now account for 52.57 per cent of the country’s installed power capacity.
The PIB report further highlighted India’s growing role in global environmental diplomacy through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, One Sun One World One Grid, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission LiFE and the International Big Cat Alliance.
It said these initiatives, along with domestic conservation and sustainability programmes, have positioned India as a leading voice in global climate action and environmental governance while supporting the country’s long-term vision of sustainable development and “Viksit Bharat”.
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