Lok Sabha Question No. 2027 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-29
Subject: Deforestation in NE Region
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: THANGSO BAITE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2027

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.12.2017

## Deforestation in NE Region

## 2027.  SHRI BAITE THANGSO:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  rapid  deforestation  in  the  North  Eastern  Region particularly in the State of Manipur;
- (b) if so, the remedial action taken and guidelines issued to the State Government to curb the situation;
- (c) whether there is any alternative plan/method to replace large scale Jhum cultivation in the hill areas; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) As  per  the  India  State  of  Forest  Report  (ISFR)  2015  of  Forest  Survey  of  India, Dehradun, although there has been an overall decrease in forest cover due to various reasons  to  the  extent  of  628  sq  km  in  the  North  Eastern  Region  as  per  the  2015 assessment  in  comparison  to  its  2013  assessment.  There  has  been  an  increase  in forest  cover  in  the  State  of  Manipur  to  the  extent  of  four  sq  km  during  the  same period.
- (b) The  primary  responsibility  of  protection  and  management  of  forest  areas  from various  threats  lies  with  the  respective  State/Union  Territory  Governments.  To increase the forest  cover  in  the  country,  afforestation  programmes  are  taken  up  by Government of India under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation  Programme  (NAP),  Green  India  Mission  (GIM),  Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) which from 2015-16 has been amalgamated as the Watershed  Development  Component  of  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee Yojana  (PMKSY)' and  under  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and Planning  Authority  (CAMPA).  Further,  financial  assistance  is  also  provided  for various  forest  protection  measures  under  various  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of this  Ministry such as  Integrated  Development of Wildlife Habitat (IDWH), Project

Tiger, Project Elephant and erstwhile Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS) which was revised and replaced as Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPM).

- (c) & (d) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),  which  is an  autonomous organization  under  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers'  Welfare  has  developed location specific alternative models on improved farming practices such as Soil and Water  Conservation  Program,  Agro-forestry  and  Integrated  Farming  System  for 'Jhum Improvement'.  In this method, major emphasis is given on improving the productivity  of  jhum  crops  and  conserving  the  natural  resources  to  increase  the jhum  cycle. The  basic  features  of  improved  Jhum  farming  model  includes introduction of improved crop varieties (like fruit and plantation crop trees) with good  yield  potential  in  jhum  land,  introduction  of  pulses  in  jhum  field  for improving soil fertility, introduction of location specific multipurpose tree such as Tree bean ( Parkia roxburghii ),  Bamboo, Teak etc. and bio-fencing of jhum field with perennial crops (Fruit and forest plants) and perennial fodder grasses in Jhum farming model, maintenance of higher level of soil organic matter in jhum fields through efficient  management of crop residues  and other biomass,  application of biofertilizers  for  managing  soil  nutrients  in  jhum  fields,  construction  micro-rain water harvesting structure (Jalkund, Farm Pond etc.) depending on availability of suitable  space  in  sloping  land  in  jhum  area  or  harvesting  perennial  spring  water through diversion channel for ensuring life-saving irrigation, adoption of contour trenches,  contour  bunds,  vegetative  bunds  etc.  for  minimizing  the  soil  loss  and linking  jhum  crops  with  secondary  agriculture  like  value  addition,  bee  keeping, mushroom production etc. involving farm women. Further, State Forest Departments  of  respective  States  take  up  various  measures  for  soil  moisture conservation,  catchment  area  treatment,  jhumia  rehabilitation,  development  and implementation of suitable agro-forestry models, awareness programmes, suitable alternative  livelihood  programmes  etc.  Government  of  Mizoram  has  launched  a flagship  programme  called  New  Land  Use  Policy  (NLUP)  since  2010  in  which Jhumia  families  are  encouraged  to  take  up  alternative  livelihoods  which  include petty traders & small time manufacturing and so far, over 1.30 lakh families have been covered under the NLUP.

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