The total forest cover in the tribal area as per the 1997 assessment is
41,717, 400-hectare,which constitutes 65.68% of the total forest cover of
the country. Forest cover as a percentage of geographic area of tribal
districts is 35.21%. However the deforestation is more intense in the
tribal areas: these areas account for 89% (489,900-hectare) of the
deforestation taken place between the 1995 and 1997 assessments