Which District of UP has No Forest Land? Forest Survey of India (FSI) Report Details

Every two years the Forest Survey of India (FSI) surveys tree cover across the country using satellite maps. The latest forest cover numbers for Uttar Pradesh pinpoint how much green cover changes from one town to another. 

Students preparing for exams and locals reading the news often look up the district with no forest land in UP. Strictly speaking no district has zero trees. 

But Bhadohi (also called Sant Ravidas Nagar) has the absolute lowest amount of forest area in Uttar Pradesh. Out of its total land less than one percent is covered by trees as per FSI report.

Bhadohi vs Sonbhadra: How Forest Cover Changes Across UP Districts

When you look at FSI numbers you see two completely different pictures of Uttar Pradesh. The state as a whole has about 6.24% forest cover. 

But that land isn't shared equally among all the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

On one end is Sonbhadra district has forests cover of more than 34% of the land due to its hills and protected reserves. 

Bhadohi on the contrary has no forest land at all. It turned most of the open land into farms, houses, and rug making factories and left almost no natural woodland behind.

Which UP Districts have Lowest and Hightest Forest Covers? 

Take a look at the following table to understand the sheer contrast between a districts with almost no forest land to the one with highest jungle areas in UP: 

Source: Forest Survey of India (FSI) Data

Why does Bhadohi has Almost No Forest Land Left in Uttar Pradesh?

In India, for the Forest Survey, any cluster of trees larger than one hectare that has treetops covering more than 10 percent of the ground beneath them is considered a forest.

In Bhadohi natural wild forests simply do not exist anymore. 

Forest area alongisde Morva River in Moosilatpur village, Bhadohi district, UP (Credit: Wikimedia)

The 5.22 square kilometers of forest land listed in the official report comes from trees planted along roads, mango groves, and backyard gardens. Nearby districts like Kannauj also lack thick and dense woods because farming has taken over almost every available acre of land.

To help fix this gap the government now runs tree planting drives along rivers and state highways to add more green space back to these agricultural areas.

In conclusion none of the UP districts is completely without trees. Bhadohi comes closest to having no forest with just 5.22 square kilometers of green cover. And the FSI report shows why plains districts need targeted tree planting to bring back natural shade and improve air quality for local families.