On 15th August 1947, India awoke to a new dawn. Our freedom was hard-earned, a collective triumph over nearly two centuries of struggle and sacrifice. As the tricolour rose against the morning sky, our leaders envisioned a sovereign India, self-reliant, prosperous, and living in harmony with its natural wealth.
Back then, our forests stretched far and wide, holding within them a treasure trove of biodiversity. Rivers flowed perennially, their banks fringed by thick canopies. The rhythm of the seasons was predictable, monsoons arrived on time, winters cooled the plains, and summers were bearable. Nature’s cycles were a foundation our farmers, communities, and wildlife could trust.
The Changing Climate of an Independent Nation
Seventy-nine years later, the scene has shifted dramatically. According to the India Meteorological Department, the country’s average temperature has risen by about 0.7°C since 1901, with the pace of warming accelerating in the last three decades. Summers are longer and harsher, winters shorter and erratic.
In March 2022, India recorded its hottest March in 122 years, with average temperatures 1.8°C above normal. Heatwaves that once occurred once in a decade now strike multiple times a year. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report warns that without urgent measures, South Asia could face an average of 38 to 40 extremely hot days annually by mid-century.
Monsoon rainfall, once the lifeline of our agrarian economy, has become increasingly erratic, arriving late, retreating early, or unleashing torrential bursts that trigger flash floods. Hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have seen cloudburst events destroy entire settlements, while low-lying areas in Assam, Bihar, and Kerala endure floods that displace millions. Simultaneously, drought-prone districts in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Rajasthan struggle with prolonged water scarcity. Coastal erosion is claiming 33% of India’s shoreline, threatening fishing communities and tourism-based economies.
These changes are not accidents. They are the cumulative result of decades of deforestation, unchecked industrialisation, rapid urban expansion, and an economic model that has often placed short-term growth over long-term sustainability.
India’s Forest Scorecard
Forests are the most reliable defence we have against climate instability. Yet, their story in independent India has been mixed. The State of Forest Report 2021 notes that our total forest and tree cover is 827,357 km², covering 25.17% of the country’s geographical area. While this marks a modest improvement from previous decades, it is still far below the 33% forest cover goal enshrined in India’s National Forest Policy.
Top States by Forest Area:
- Madhya Pradesh: ~85,000 km²
- Arunachal Pradesh: ~66,000 km²
- Maharashtra: ~50,000 km²
Highest Forest Cover (% of Land Area):
- Mizoram: 84.5%
- Lakshadweep: 84%
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 81.7%
Lowest Forest Cover:
- Haryana: 3.7% (less than 1,700 km² of forest)
- Punjab: 3.7%
- Rajasthan: 4.9%
The disparity is stark. While some states guard vast swathes of green, others teeter on the brink of ecological collapse.
However, there are success stories worth noting:
- Chhattisgarh has expanded forest cover by over 4,000 km² in the past decade through community-led afforestation.
- Odisha’s mangrove restoration in Kendrapara has bolstered climate resilience against cyclones.
- Uttar Pradesh’s large-scale plantation drives have added millions of trees, boosting carbon sequestration capacity.
Independence and Our Green Responsibility
When our forebears fought for independence, they envisioned freedom not only from foreign rule but from deprivation, vulnerability, and environmental degradation. Independence is not static. It is renewed with each generation’s choices. Today, the battlefront is different but equally urgent: protecting our environment.
Forests are more than a collection of trees. They:
- Absorb up to 2.5 billion tonnes of CO₂ globally each year, slowing climate change.
- Provide habitat for 80% of terrestrial species.
- Regulate rainfall and recharge aquifers.
- Serve as natural barriers against soil erosion and floods.
Every hectare lost reduces these benefits. Every hectare gained multiplies them.
A Call to Plant for the Nation
This Independence Day, let us honour our country’s legacy not only with speeches and flags but with living monuments, forests that will stand as proof of our commitment to the land.
At Grow-Trees.com, we enable individuals and organisations to plant trees where they are needed most, whether to restore degraded elephant corridors in Jharkhand, expand mangroves in Tamil Nadu, or replenish tribal farmlands in Irula. Each tree you plant is documented with an eTreeCertificate®, a lasting reminder of your contribution to India’s environmental independence.
Just as our freedom was won by collective effort, our ecological future will be secured only if we act together, not to fight for the land but to heal it.
This 15th August, pledge to plant. Pledge to protect.
Visit Grow-Trees.com and let your Independence Day gift be a forest that will grow for decades, cleaning the air, sheltering wildlife, and carrying forward the green freedom our ancestors once knew.