Government has addressed concerns regarding unlawful felling of trees in India in a written response in Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh.

It was stated that the duty of guarding and supervisor of forests and tree cover primarily rests with the State Governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations. To support this, the nation already has a strong set of legal laws in the form of The Indian Forest Act, The Forest (Conservation) Act, The Wildlife (Protection) Act, Various State Forest Acts and Tree Preservation Acts. Whenever illegal tree cutting is discovered, stringent action is initiated under these acts. The offenders are produced in the relevant courts or authorities, and the incidents' details are entered and preserved by the UT or state governments. The forest departments at the local level are tasked with verifying and reporting how many trees were illegally cut. These are preserved in the forest offence registers, as per the requirements of each state or Union Territory.

According to the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 by the Forest Survey of India, there has been a growth in India's forest and tree cover. Forest cover grew by 156.41 square kilometres, whereas tree cover grew by 1,289.40 square kilometres, compared to the earlier ISFR-2021 report.

Government is also implementing various significant steps to prevent illegal felling of trees. Forest personnel are making regular patrolling in forests to identify and prevent illegal work. Patrolling camps, anti-poaching camps, and check points have been set up in sensitive and high-risk areas. Flying squads and vigilance squads have also been deputed to keep a watch and check on vulnerable areas which are prone to illegal felling.

Apart from enforcement, the Government is also liaising closely with local people through Joint Forest Management schemes. The Government is also carrying out awareness campaigns and educational initiatives to engage citizens proactively in saving forests.

Overall, Government is making both legal and functional efforts to stop illegal felling of trees. Although partial success has been seen in adding green cover, sustained vigilance and combined efforts at all levels are still essential.