The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change encourages plantation in the country including various metropolitan cities through programmes and schemes such as Nagar Van Yojana, School Nursery Yojana, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), National Afforestation Programme (NAP), National Mission for a Green India (GIM), etc. which promotes urban forestry, tree plantation on vacant lands and bunds on farm lands etc. by involving local communities, NGOs, educational institutions, local bodies, etc. In respect to urban areas, the Ministry is implementing the Nagar Van Yojana the scheme initiated for creation of Nagar Van in urban areas.
The following additional steps taken by the Government contribute to protection and development of forest areas in the country including in the metropolitan cities:
- For preservation and protection of forest and wildlife, various laws including the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and other central/state laws as applicable to a State/UT, are implemented by the respective State Government /UT Administration. The Ministry also provides financial supports to the States /UTs under Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme for protection against forest fire.
- The Ministry has implemented National Afforestation Programme (NAP) for tree plantation in degraded forests through people’s participation which has been merged with National Mission for a Green India (GIM), under which, in addition to other sub-missions, there is a specific sub-mission for enhancing tree cover in urban and peri- urban areas. An area of over 2 million hectare was earmarked for taking up afforestation in the States/Union Territories (UTs) with an investment of about Rs. 3982 crores till 2021-22 under NAP since its launching in the year 2000. Under GIM an amount of about Rs. 612 crore has been released to States/UTs since 2015-16 to 2021-22. NAP has been merged with GIM and implemented as single scheme at present.
- Urban forestry is a permissible activity under the provisions of Compensatory Fund Act, 2016 and the Rules made there under. The Government of India has disbursed an amount of Rs. 51768.76 crore from National Fund to 33 State funds as share of respective States as per Compensatory Fund Act, 2016.
- Further, tree plantation, being a multi-departmental, multi-agency activity, are also being taken up cross-sectorally under various programmes /funding sources of other ministries/ organizations and also through State Plan budgets.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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