India should ideally have 33% of its geographical area under forest cover, as mandated by the National Forest Policy of 1988. This policy aims to maintain ecological stability by ensuring that one-third of the country's land area is forested
. Currently, India’s actual forest and tree cover is around 25.17% of its geographical area, which is below the ideal target of 33%. The forest cover alone is about 21.76%, with an additional 3.41% under tree cover
. Thus, the estimated ideal percentage of forest land for India is 33%, while the present coverage is slightly over 25%, indicating a need for continued afforestation and conservation efforts to reach the policy goal.
