Unlike in other States, the forest cover in Andhra Pradesh has been steadily increasing year-by-year, according to SK Das, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. Speaking to newsmen along with Water Conservation mission technical committee chairman T Hanumantha Rao, after a workshop on "Water Conservation - Harvesting in Forest Areas", Das said that the extent of dense forest area has increased from 10.5 lakh hectare to 13 lakh hectare between 1996 and 2000.