Table 10.4.1: Land Use Pattern (2021–22)
(Area in ‘000 hectares)
| Land Use Type | Area (‘000 ha) | Percentage (%) |
|---|
| Geographical Area | 9,416 | — |
| Reporting Area for Land Utilization | 9,359.57 | 100.00 |
| Forests | 621.63 | 6.64 |
| Land Not Available for Cultivation | 2,181.11 | 23.30 |
| Permanent Pastures & Other Grazing Lands | 14.91 | 0.16 |
| Land under Misc. Tree Crops & Groves | 250.98 | 2.68 |
| Culturable Wasteland | 43.58 | 0.47 |
| Fallow Land (Other than Current Fallow) | 174.01 | 1.86 |
| Current Fallow | 1,002.96 | 10.72 |
| Net Area Sown | 5,070.39 | 54.17 |
Source: Land Use Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, GoI (2021–22)
Table: Key Geographical & Demographic Profile (Bihar)
| Indicator | Details |
|---|
| Geographical Area | 94,163 km² |
| Latitudinal Extent | 24°16′ N to 27°45′ N |
| Longitudinal Extent | 83°16′ E to 88°30′ E |
| Population (Census 2011) | 104.10 million |
| Urban Population | 11.76 million (11.29%) |
| Rural Population | 92.34 million (88.71%) |
| Tribal Population | 1.34 million (1.28%) |
| Average Population Density | 1,106 persons/km² |
| Livestock Population (19th Census) | 32.93 million |
| Number of Districts | 38 |
| Hill Districts | 0 |
| Tribal Districts | 0 |
1️⃣ Very Dense Forest (VDF) – Bihar
| Rank | District | Very Dense Forest (sq km) |
|---|
| 1 | West Champaran | 303.78 |
| 2 | Munger | 39.19 |
| 3 | Jamui | 27.78 |
| Grand Total (Bihar) |
| 387 |
Insight:
- West Champaran contributes ~78.5% of Bihar’s VDF.
2️⃣ Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) – Bihar
| Rank | District | Moderately Dense Forest (sq km) |
|---|
| 1 | West Champaran | 527.25 |
| 2 | Kaimur (Bhabua) | 526.00 |
| 3 | Jamui | 352.66 |
| 4 | Munger | 240.65 |
| 5 | Nawada | 199.53 |
| Grand Total (Bihar) |
| 3,284.21 |
Insight:
- MDF is ~8.5 times larger than VDF in Bihar.
- Concentrated in northern forests (West Champaran) and southern plateau districts.
3️⃣ Open Forest (OF) – Bihar
| Rank | District | Open Forest (sq km) |
|---|
| 1 | Kaimur (Bhabua) | 499.68 |
| 2 | Gaya | 488.24 |
| 3 | Nawada | 306.77 |
| 4 | Jamui | 290.40 |
| 5 | Banka | 194.81 |
| Grand Total (Bihar) |
| 3,861.24 |
Insight:
- OF is the largest forest category in Bihar.
- Mainly concentrated in southern plateau districts (Kaimur–Gaya–Nawada–Jamui belt).
4️⃣ Total Forest Cover (TFC) – Bihar
| Rank | District | Total Forest Cover (sq km) |
|---|
| 1 | Kaimur (Bhabua) | 1,025.68 |
| 2 | West Champaran | 908.23 |
| 3 | Jamui | 670.84 |
| 4 | Gaya | 622.49 |
| 5 | Nawada | 506.30 |
| Grand Total (Bihar) |
| 7,532.45 |
Insight:
- Kaimur leads in total forest cover due to combined MDF + OF dominance.
- West Champaran has largest VDF contribution, ranking 2nd overall.
5️⃣ Forest Cover as % of District Area
| Rank | District | Forest Cover (% of Area) |
|---|
| 1 | Kaimur (Bhabua) | 30.51 |
| 2 | Jamui | 21.65 |
| 3 | Munger | 21.57 |
| 4 | Nawada | 20.30 |
| 5 | West Champaran | 17.37 |
| 6 | Lakhisarai | 13.81 |
Insight:
- Kaimur is the greenest district in terms of % area under forest, despite West Champaran having more VDF.
6️⃣ Change in Forest Cover w.r.t. 2021
| Rank | District | Change (sq km) |
|---|
| 1 | Bhagalpur | 33.82 |
| 2 | Madhubani | 25.71 |
| 3 | East Champaran | 19.44 |
| 4 | Banka | 19.16 |
| 5 | Sitamarhi | 12.99 |
Grand Total Change (Bihar): 129.19 sq kmInsight:
- Positive growth concentrated in northern Bihar districts like Bhagalpur, Madhubani, and East Champaran.
✅ Quick Exam Facts
- Total Forest in Bihar (ISFR 2023): 7,532.45 sq km
- VDF: 387 sq km → concentrated in West Champaran
- MDF: 3,284.21 sq km → West Champaran & Kaimur belt
- OF: 3,861.24 sq km → Kaimur–Gaya–Nawada–Jamui belt
- Forest Cover %: Kaimur leads with 30.51%
- Change since 2021: +129.19 sq km, highest in Bhagalpur
Forest Fire Detections by District (2022–23)
| Rank | District | Forest Fire Detections |
|---|
| 1 | West Champaran | 1,496 |
| 2 | Jamui | 531 |
| 3 | Munger | 339 |
| 4 | Nawada | 321 |
| 5 | Kaimur (Bhabua) | 314 |
| Total (Bihar) |
| 3,793 |
Key Insights
- West Champaran alone accounts for ~39.5% of all forest fires in Bihar.
- Districts with high VDF and MDF coverage (West Champaran, Jamui, Munger, Kaimur) are more prone to forest fires.
- Forest fire hotspots are mostly in northern forests and southern plateau regions.
Forest Fire Detections by District (2023–24)
| Rank | District | Forest Fire Detections |
|---|
| 1 | West Champaran | 1,403 |
| 2 | Jamui | 354 |
| 3 | Munger | 233 |
| 4 | Nawada | 173 |
| 5 | Rohtas | 164 |
| Total (Bihar) |
| 2,763 |
Key Insights
- Total forest fires decreased by 1,030 incidents from 2022–23 (3,793 → 2,763).
- West Champaran remains the highest hotspot, accounting for ~50.8% of total fires.
- New entry in top 5: Rohtas, replacing Kaimur (Bhabua) from 2022–23.
- Fire-prone districts are mainly in northern forest belts (West Champaran) and southern plateau districts (Jamui, Munger, Rohtas).
Number of Trees and Volume for Top Species in Recorded Forest Area (RFA)
| Sl. No. | Species | No. of Trees (in ‘000) | Volume (Million m³) |
|---|
| 1 | Shorea robusta (Sal) | 23,780 | 8.88 |
Number of Trees and Volume for Top Species in Rural Area
| Sl. No. | Species | No. of Trees (in ‘000) | Volume (Million m³) |
|---|
| 1 | Mangifera indica (Mango) | 52,160 | 17.986 |
Number of Trees and Volume for Top Species in Urban Area
| Sl. No. | Species | No. of Trees (in ‘000) | Volume (Million m³) |
|---|
| 1 | Mangifera indica (Mango) | 1,643 | 0.267 |
Major Invasive Species inside Recorded Forest Area (RFA) in Bihar
| Sl. No. | Species | Estimated Extent (km²) |
|---|
| 1 | Lantana camara | 550.09 |
Major Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) Species in Bihar
| Sl. No. | Species | Habit | No. of Plants (in ‘000) |
|---|
| 1 | Shorea robusta (Sal) | Tree | 7,42,329 |
Key Exam-Oriented Takeaways
- Sal (Shorea robusta) dominates Bihar’s forest ecosystem and NTFP base
- Mango (Mangifera indica) is the most dominant species in rural and urban tree cover
- Lantana camara is the largest invasive threat inside RFA
- Rural tree volume far exceeds urban, highlighting agroforestry importance
Source : ISFR 2023 ; Dec 2024 | https://fsi.nic.in/forest-report-2023