Arrange the following states in decreasing order of their total area under forest cover: 1 Jharkhand 2. Chhattisgarh 3. Anmachal Pradesh 4. Madhya Pradesh Select the correct answer using the code given below:

According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR), Madhya Pradesh consistently holds the largest forest cover by area in India [1]. Following Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh ranks second, and Chhattisgarh ranks third in terms of total forest area [1]. Specifically, data indicates Madhya Pradesh has approximately 77,493 sq km, Arunachal Pradesh has 66,431 sq km, and Chhattisgarh has 55,717 sq km [1]. Jharkhand, while significant for its forest density and name meaning 'land of forests', has a smaller total area of approximately 23,721 sq km, placing it below the other three states in this list. Therefore, the correct decreasing order of total area under forest cover is Madhya Pradesh (4), Arunachal Pradesh (3), Chhattisgarh (2), and Jharkhand (1), which corresponds to the sequence 4 - 3 - 2 - 1.

Sources

1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Table 5.2 > p. 10