Over 52% of total reporting area of Indian Himalayan region is covered by forests, which is much higher than the country’s forest cover (over 20%), followed by not available for cultivation (about 11.5%). While the net sown area of the region is only 9.8% in respect of the all-India figure (43.5%) of total reporting area. However, both the figures have increased marginally over past few decades. The following figure shows the state-wise distribution of major landuse pattern of Indian Himalaya.

Figure 7. Major landuse pattern of Himalayan states

[Source: National Policy for Integrated Development in the Himalaya; Planning Commission, October 1993.]

Figure 8. State-wise area (in %) under major crops to gross cropped area

[Source: National Policy for Integrated Development in the Himalaya; Planning Commission, October 1993.; *Assam hills represent the data of 1989]

Basic Amenities: The following table shows the % of households having safe drinking water and electricity facilities (1981 and 1991) and the decal change in last decade

Table 12. Drinking water and electricity facilities for % household of different Himalayan states: states are ranked according to availability of drinking water in 1991
 

States	Drinking water			Electricity
	1981	1991	% change	1981	1991	% change
HIMACHAL PRADESH	44.50	77.34	73.80	54.86	87.01	58.60
SIKKIM	30.33	73.19	141.31	23.11	60.66	162.48
ARUNACHAL PRADESH	43.89	70.20	59.95	15.15	40.85	169.64
NAGALAND	45.63	53.37	16.96	26.12	53.42	104.52
JAMMU & KASHMIR	40.28	N.A.	-	60.87	N.A.	-
MANIPUR	19.54	38.72	98.16	20.06	50.92	153.84
TRIPURA	27.33	37.18	36.04	25.05	36.93	47.43
MEGHALAYA	25.11	36.16	44.01	16.84	29.16	73.16
MIZORAM	4.88	16.21	232.17	16.27	59.20	263.86