•The National Forest Policy (NFP) (GoI1988) stipulates that the country as a whole should aim at keeping about one-third of the geographical area under forest cover.
•In India, forests meet nearly 40% of the energy needs of the country of which more than 80% is utilized in the rural areas, and they also meet about 30% of fodder needs of the cattle population.
•For landless families and marginal farmers, forest related activities often represent the primary source of income.