In a rare turn around, the ministry of environment and forests has announced that the country's forest cover has increased by nearly 4,000 sq km since the last assessment made in 1997.The Union minister for environment and foresyt TR Baalu said that an allocation of Rs 6.695 crore per annum would be required in order to achieve one third forest cover within the next 20 years. The minister was speaking at the release of the latest report 'State of Forest Report 1999.'