Forests of Odisha

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Forests cover about a third of Odisha. The 2021 assessment by the Forest Survey of India recorded 52,156 sq km of forest cover (33.50% of the state), and adding tree cover outside forests brought the total to 57,160 sq km (36.71%) (Odisha Forestry Sector 2023). The latest report, ISFR 2023, found that Odisha added another 152 sq km of forest cover and 559 sq km of forest-plus-tree cover between 2021 and 2023. Odisha was third among states for both gains (OrissaPOST).

The state’s recorded forest area (land legally classed as forest) is 61,204 sq km, or 39.3% of Odisha. Of this, 59% is Reserved Forest and 41% is Protected Forest. Odisha also has India’s second-largest mangrove forest at Bhitarkanika, a UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve at Similipal, and forests that store about 445 million tonnes of carbon.

Forests matter enormously to Odisha’s people. Most of the state’s 62 tribal communities live in or near forests and depend on them for food, fuel, fodder, medicine and cash income from kendu leaf, sal seed, mahua and bamboo. This article covers forest cover and change, forest types, regional distribution, protected areas, forest produce, forest management, and threats.

Forest cover at a glance

Legal status of forest land

Category	Area (sq km)	Share of recorded forest
Reserved Forests	36,049	58.9%
Protected Forests	25,133	40.8%
Unclassed Forests	22	0.4%
Recorded forest area	61,204	39.3% of the state

Forest cover by canopy density (ISFR 2021)

Density class	Canopy density	Area (sq km)	Share of the state
Very dense forest	70% and above	7,213	4.6%
Moderately dense forest	40–70%	20,995	13.5%
Open forest	10–40%	23,948	15.4%
Total forest cover		52,156	33.5%
Scrub	Below 10%	4,924	3.2%
Tree cover outside forests		5,004	3.2%

Source: Odisha Forestry Sector 2023. ISFR 2023 added about 152 sq km to forest cover and about 559 sq km to forest-plus-tree cover; its full density breakdown for Odisha should be added when the state report is available.

Only about one-seventh of Odisha’s forest is very dense. Nearly half is open forest, which shows how much has been degraded by felling, grazing, fire and shifting cultivation.

Other key figures

Mangroves: about 259 sq km, up from about 222 sq km in 2011. Odisha recorded one of the country’s largest gains in mangrove cover. Bhitarkanika alone has more than 212 sq km (OdishaPlus).
Bamboo-bearing area: about 1.12 million hectares.
Carbon stock: about 445 million tonnes.
Most forested districts (by share of area): Kandhamal, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Koraput are among the most forested. The coastal districts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Puri have the least forest outside their mangroves.

Forest types

Under the Champion and Seth classification of Indian forests, Odisha’s forests belong to a few broad type groups. Each group contains several sub-types, which together are usually counted as more than a dozen forest types in the state. The great majority are tropical moist and dry deciduous forests, dominated by sal.

Forest type group	Where	Main species	Notes
Tropical semi-evergreen	Moist valleys and higher slopes of Similipal, Mahendragiri and other Eastern Ghats hills	Mango, jamun, champak, Mesua (nageswar), Michelia, Litsea, with an evergreen understorey	Small in area but rich in species
Tropical moist deciduous	Northern Odisha (Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh) and the wetter Eastern Ghats	Sal (Shorea robusta) dominant, with asan (Terminalia alata), piasal, kusum, kendu, bija; bamboo in the understorey	The most valuable forests; sal is Odisha’s characteristic tree
Tropical dry deciduous	Drier western and central Odisha (Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh)	Dry sal mixed with teak in places, dhaura, salai, mahua, kendu, char; Dendrocalamus strictus bamboo	Sparse canopy in summer; heavily used and often degraded
Tropical thorn and scrub	Degraded parts of the western uplands and coastal plain	Acacia, Zizyphus, Lantana and other scrub	Result of over-use rather than climate
Littoral and swamp forests (mangroves)	Bhitarkanika, Mahanadi delta, Devi mouth, Subarnarekha and Budhabalanga estuaries	Sundari (Heritiera fomes), Rhizophora, Avicennia, Bruguiera, Ceriops, Excoecaria (guan), hental palm (Phoenix paludosa)	Among India’s richest mangroves; protect the coast from cyclones
Beach and coastal plantations	Puri, Ganjam, Balasore coasts	Casuarina, cashew, palms	Planted shelterbelts on sand dunes

Notable features

Sal belt: Odisha lies in the heart of India’s sal belt, and sal forests are the backbone of its forest economy.
Bamboo brakes occur as an understorey or in pure patches, especially in Koraput, Rayagada and Kalahandi.
Grasslands in the highest Eastern Ghats plateaus and the Similipal meadows support grazing herbivores.
Plantations of teak, eucalyptus, acacia and cashew cover large areas outside natural forests.

Regional distribution

Odisha’s forests follow its hills: they are densest on the Northern Plateau and the Eastern Ghats and thinnest on the farmed coastal plains.

Forest region	Districts	Character
Similipal–Mayurbhanj–Keonjhar	Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar	Dense moist sal forests and semi-evergreen valleys; Similipal massif; elephants, tigers
Northern plateau and Garhjat hills	Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal	Moist and dry sal; mining and industrial pressure around Joda–Barbil, Talcher and Jharsuguda
Satkosia–Mahanadi gorge	Angul, Boudh, Nayagarh, Cuttack	Mixed deciduous forest along the Mahanadi gorge; Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Eastern Ghats south	Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi	Large tracts of sal and mixed forest, bamboo; extensive shifting cultivation (podu); highest forest share in Kandhamal and Gajapati
Western uplands	Bolangir, Nuapada, Bargarh, Subarnapur	Dry deciduous forest and scrub; Debrigarh, Sunabeda and Gandhamardan hills
Coastal belt	Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Puri, Ganjam	Mangroves of Bhitarkanika and the Mahanadi delta; casuarina shelterbelts; little natural forest elsewhere

Protected areas

Odisha has a network of about 21 protected areas, 2 national parks and 19 wildlife sanctuaries, covering about 8,380 sq km, more than 5% of the state (Odisha Forestry Sector 2023).

National parks

National park	District	Highlights
Similipal	Mayurbhanj	Core of Similipal Tiger Reserve and Biosphere Reserve; sal forests, waterfalls (Barehipani, Joranda); the world’s only wild population of pseudo-melanistic (“black”) tigers
Bhitarkanika	Kendrapara	Mangrove forest in the Brahmani–Baitarani delta; India’s largest population of saltwater crocodiles; Ramsar site

Tiger reserves

Similipal Tiger Reserve (1973, among India’s first nine). A camera-trap survey reported in July 2026 found 35 adult tigers, 19 of them pseudo-melanistic, plus 16 cubs, up from 16 tigers in the 2022 national estimate (ETV Bharat).
Satkosia Tiger Reserve (2007), combining Satkosia Gorge and Baisipalli sanctuaries; currently without resident tigers.
Debrigarh Tiger Reserve (approved in 2025), about 804 sq km near the Hirakud reservoir in Sambalpur, with a core of about 347 sq km (Insights on India).

Important wildlife sanctuaries

Baisipalli, Satkosia Gorge, Debrigarh, Sunabeda, Hadgarh, Kuldiha, Karlapat, Kotagarh, Lakhari Valley, Chandaka–Dampara, Kapilash, Khalasuni, Badrama (Ushakothi), Balukhand–Konark, Nandankanan, Chilika (Nalabana), Gahirmatha (Marine), Bhitarkanika and Simlipal (PMF IAS).

Other conservation areas

Similipal Biosphere Reserve, in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.
Elephant reserves: Mayurbhanj, Mahanadi and Sambalpur. Odisha has one of India’s largest wild elephant populations.
Ramsar sites: Chilika, Bhitarkanika, Satkosia Gorge, Hirakud, Tampara and Ansupa.
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, protecting the world’s largest Olive Ridley turtle nesting beach, along with Rushikulya and Devi mouth.

Forest produce and the forest economy

Forestry and logging make up about 13% of Odisha’s agriculture and allied output. Their real importance is greater, because forest produce is a major source of income for tribal and other forest-dwelling households.

Major forest products

Product	Source	Use and importance
Kendu leaf	Diospyros melanoxylon	Used to wrap bidis; Odisha is one of India’s largest producers. The trade is nationalised and run by the state’s Kendu Leaf Organisation; leaf pluckers receive wages and bonus (Kendu Leaf Organisation)
Timber	Sal, teak, asan, bija, gamhar	Construction and furniture; harvested under working plans, mainly by the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC)
Bamboo	Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa species	Paper industry, housing, crafts; about 1.12 million ha bamboo-bearing area
Sal seed and leaves	Sal	Seed oil; leaf plates and cups made by tribal women
Mahua flowers and seeds	Mahua (Madhuca)	Food, liquor, cooking oil
Other NTFPs	Tamarind, hill broom, siali leaf, lac, honey, chironji, harida, amla, tussar silk, medicinal plants	Important cash income; many are bought under minimum support price for minor forest produce
Cashew and casuarina	Plantations on coastal and laterite lands	Cashew nuts for processing; casuarina poles

Institutions

Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department and the Odisha Forest Department, with about 51 forest divisions.
Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC): timber, bamboo and kendu leaf trade.
Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation (TDCC) and ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society): marketing of minor forest produce.
Gram sabhas can own and sell minor forest produce from their community forests under the Forest Rights Act.

Forest management

Community forest protection

Odisha has a long tradition of villages protecting nearby forests on their own. This was formalised through Joint Forest Management, under which Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSS) share responsibility and benefits with the Forest Department. About 16,128 VSS protect some 13.9 lakh hectares of forest, and about 594 eco-development committees work around protected areas (Odisha Forestry Sector 2023).

Forest Rights Act, 2006

Under the Forest Rights Act, tribal and other traditional forest dwellers can claim:

individual forest rights over land they cultivate;
community forest rights over common forests and their produce;
community forest resource rights to protect and manage their forests.

Odisha is among the leading states in recognising individual titles. Community rights have moved more slowly, though villages such as those in the Niyamgiri hills have used gram sabha decisions to protect forests from mining.

Programmes and policies

Compensatory afforestation (CAMPA): funds from forest land diverted for mines and industries are spent on afforestation, assisted natural regeneration and wildlife habitat.
Green India Mission and Nagar Van urban forests.
Ama Jangala Yojana and similar state schemes for community-led forest management and livelihoods.
Mangrove restoration using fishbone-channel planting in Bhitarkanika, which revived about 100 hectares in four years (OdishaPlus).
Fire management, elephant corridor protection and human–wildlife conflict mitigation.

Threats and challenges

Diversion of forest land for mines, industries, dams, roads and railways, especially in Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Angul, Jharsuguda, Koraput and Rayagada.
Degradation: nearly half of the forest cover is open forest; illegal felling, over-extraction of fuelwood and grazing thin the canopy.
Shifting cultivation (podu) on Eastern Ghats slopes, with shortened fallow cycles leaving bare hillsides.
Forest fires in the dry season (February–May); Odisha regularly reports some of India’s highest numbers of fire alerts, including in Similipal.
Human–elephant conflict: expanding mining, roads and farms break elephant corridors, leading to crop damage and deaths of people and elephants.
Poaching of tigers, elephants and pangolins, and illegal timber trade.
Cyclones and climate change: cyclones such as Phailin and Fani destroyed large areas of trees; rising temperatures and drought stress forests.
Invasive species such as Lantana and Mikania in degraded forests.
Tenure insecurity for forest-dwelling communities where forest rights remain unsettled.

Way forward

Strengthen community forest management and settle forest rights, so local people gain from protection.
Restore degraded open forests through assisted natural regeneration and native species planting.
Plan mining and infrastructure to avoid dense forests and elephant corridors, with strict compensatory afforestation.
Improve fire prevention and early warning.
Expand mangrove restoration and coastal shelterbelts.
Add value to forest produce locally through processing and fair prices for tribal collectors.
Promote eco-tourism that benefits local communities in Similipal, Bhitarkanika, Satkosia, Debrigarh and Chilika.

Conclusion

Odisha’s forests, from the sal-clad Similipal hills to the mangroves of Bhitarkanika, cover about a third of the state and are slowly expanding. They shelter black tigers, elephants and crocodiles, store hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon, and support the livelihoods of millions of tribal people. Yet much of the cover is open and degraded, and mining, fires and conflict press on it. The state’s strong tradition of community protection, backed by forest rights and restoration, offers the best path to keeping these forests healthy.

Quick facts for exam aspirants

Forest cover (ISFR 2021): 52,156 sq km (33.50%); forest and tree cover 57,160 sq km (36.71%).
ISFR 2023: forest cover +152 sq km, forest and tree cover +559 sq km since 2021 (third-highest among states).
Recorded forest area: 61,204 sq km (39.31%); Reserved 59%, Protected 41%.
Very dense forest: 7,213 sq km; open forest: 23,948 sq km.
Mangroves: about 259 sq km; Bhitarkanika is India’s second-largest mangrove forest.
Dominant tree: sal (Shorea robusta).
Protected areas: 2 national parks (Similipal, Bhitarkanika) and 19 wildlife sanctuaries.
Tiger reserves: Similipal, Satkosia, Debrigarh (2025).
Similipal: home to the world’s only wild pseudo-melanistic (black) tigers; UNESCO biosphere reserve (2009).
Elephant reserves: Mayurbhanj, Mahanadi, Sambalpur.
Vana Surakhya Samitis: about 16,128, protecting about 13.9 lakh ha.
Kendu leaf trade is nationalised in Odisha.