Jaipur, July 29 -- The Centre has informed the Lok Sabha that only 0.45% of Churu district's total geographical area was under forest cover. Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change Kirti Vardhan Singh tabled the data as part of his reply to an unstarred question by BJP MP Rahul Kaswan. "The forest cover in the district amounts to just 62.73 square kilometres, based on the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023. Even measured against Rajasthan's own state average of 4.84 per cent, Churu lags far behind - underscoring the scale of the ecological challenge in the Thar-adjoining district," he said. The Centre's reply cited the area's geography heavily. Churu sits in Rajasthan's semi-arid belt, marked by scant rainfall, chronic water scarcity, and naturally sparse vegetation. Officials said restoration efforts in the region are built around native, drought-tolerant species suited to the terrain rather than conventional plantation drives. The district is home to the Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, prized for its grassland ecosystem and resident blackbuck herds. The Centre has notified an Eco-Sensitive Zone around the sanctuary. The data shows that the decline has been gradual but consistent. Churu's forest cover stood at 0.59% in ISFR 2019, slipped to 0.56% in ISFR 2021, and has now fallen to 0.45% in ISFR 2023. Between the last two assessments alone, the district lost 11.74 sq km of forest cover, according to the Rajasthan Forest Department's Annual Report 2024-25, which reproduces district-wise ISFR 2023 data. Churu MP Rahul Kaswan told HT that the figures should serve as a warning. "If a result-oriented, district-specific and scientific strategy is not adopted even now, desertification, water scarcity and climate-related challenges could become far more severe in the future," he said. While Churu (-11.74 sq km), Bikaner (-14.85 sq km) and Nagaur (-4.31 sq km) registered a decline in forest cover between ISFR 2021 and ISFR 2023, Barmer recorded an increase of 19 sq km, Jaisalmer gained 11.46 sq km, and Jodhpur added 2.66 sq km during the same period. The comparison suggests that Churu's shrinking forest cover cannot be attributed to desert conditions alone. Kaswan's question had pressed the government on multiple fronts - funding under the Green India Mission, the National Afforestation Programme, the Nagar Van Yojana, and the Desertification Prevention Programme, and whether any district-specific green action plan exists for Churu. The Union minister pointed to a mix of centrally sponsored Schemes routed through the states. Funding under the Green India Mission flows only against approved State Perspective Plans, he noted....