Chapter Overview

About two-fifths of Chhattisgarh (छत्तीसगढ़) is under forest. That is why the state tree is sal (साल / सरई), the state animal is the wild buffalo (वन भैंसा) and the state bird is the hill myna (पहाड़ी मैना). For lakhs of tribal families, the forest is also a pay cheque: tendu leaves, mahua, lac, tamarind and sal seed are their cash income. This chapter covers how much forest the state has, what it produces, where its protected areas are and which laws govern it.

Prelims asks “which district, which year, which river”. Mains asks “forests versus mining” and “rights versus conservation”. This chapter prepares you for both.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:

Quote Chhattisgarh’s forest cover from ISFR 2023 with the right numbers, and explain forest cover versus recorded forest area
Name the main forest types (sal, teak, mixed) and the three Champion and Seth type groups found in the state
Explain the minor forest produce (लघु वनोपज) economy: tendu leaves, lac, mahua, MSP for MFP, Van Dhan and the state MFP federation
Locate the 3 national parks, 11 wildlife sanctuaries and 4 tiger reserves, plus the elephant reserves, the biosphere reserve and the state’s first Ramsar site
Trace forest policy from 1894 to the 2023 amendment, and connect it to FRA 2006 and PESA in Chhattisgarh
Write balanced Mains answers on forest rights, wildlife conservation and mining in forest areas

Prerequisites

Physical Geography of Chhattisgarh: plateaus, hills and rivers explain where the forests are
Natural Vegetation and Soils of India: the national forest types this chapter localises
Tribes of Chhattisgarh: the communities whose livelihoods depend on these forests

Learning Path

Follow these topics in order:

graph TD
    A["1. Forest types and cover (ISFR 2023)"] --> B["2. Minor forest produce: tendu, lac, mahua"]
    B --> C["3. National parks: Indravati, Kanger Valley, Guru Ghasidas"]
    C --> D["4. Sanctuaries, tiger and elephant reserves, biosphere reserve, Ramsar site"]
    D --> E["5. Forest policy and laws: 1894 to 2023, FRA, PESA"]
    E --> F["Quick Revision"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers	Read time
1	Forest Types and Forest Cover	ISFR 2023 figures, forest cover vs recorded forest area, sal and teak forests, state symbols	12 min
2	Minor Forest Produce	Tendu leaves, lac, mahua, tamarind, kosa; MSP for MFP; Van Dhan; MFP federation; PESA and MFP	12 min
3	National Parks of Chhattisgarh	Indravati, Kanger Valley (UNESCO tentative list, 2025), Guru Ghasidas; the last cheetahs of India	11 min
4	Wildlife Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves	11 sanctuaries, 4 tiger reserves incl. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (2024), elephant reserves, Achanakmar-Amarkantak BR, Kopra Ramsar site	14 min
5	Forest Policy and Forest Laws	National Forest Policies, Wildlife and Forest Conservation Acts, FRA 2006, PESA rules 2022, community forest rights in Chhattisgarh	13 min
—	Quick Revision	Every number, name and district of this chapter on one page	5 min

Where It Is Asked

Exam Focus

Prelims P-I (Chhattisgarh part): “Which sanctuary is in which district?”, “Which is the newest tiger reserve?”, “Where is Kutumsar cave?”, “What is the state’s forest cover percentage?” Expect match-the-following on parks and districts and statement-based questions on ISFR figures.
Mains P-V GS-III (Geography and Economy of CG): forest resources and their economic value, the MFP economy, forest cover trends, and mining versus forests (Hasdeo Arand).
Mains P-VI GS-IV (Social aspects of CG): forest-dwelling tribes, forest rights under FRA 2006, PESA, and the livelihood role of tendu and other MFP.
Interview: “Should Hasdeo Arand be mined?”, “Why is the wild buffalo vanishing?” and “Has FRA helped tribal families in your district?” are natural board questions.

Quick Reference

Fact	Detail
Forest cover (ISFR 2023)	55,811.75 sq km, about 41.3% of the state’s area; 3rd largest by area after MP and Arunachal Pradesh
Change (ISFR 2023 vs 2021)	Forest cover +94.75 sq km; forest and tree cover +684 sq km, the highest increase of any state
Recorded forest area (ISFR 2021)	59,772 sq km, 44.21% of the state’s area
State tree / animal / bird	Sal / wild buffalo / hill myna
National parks	3: Indravati (Bijapur), Kanger Valley (Bastar), Guru Ghasidas (Koriya-MCB)
Wildlife sanctuaries	11 (oldest: Sitanadi, 1974)
Tiger reserves	4: Indravati (1983), Udanti-Sitanadi and Achanakmar (2009), Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (Nov 2024, India’s 56th)
Elephant reserves	Badalkhol-Tamor Pingla (2011), Lemru (Korba region)
Biosphere reserve	Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2005; UNESCO network 2012)
First Ramsar site	Kopra Reservoir, Bilaspur (December 2025)
Tendu collection rate	₹5,500 per standard bag (from the 2024 season)
Key laws	WPA 1972, FCA 1980 (renamed 2023), NFP 1988, PESA 1996 (CG rules 2022), FRA 2006

Start Learning

Ready to begin? Start with the first topic:

→ Forest Types and Forest Cover