Lok Sabha Question No. 1006 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-18
Subject: World Environment Day
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kuldeep Rai Sharma, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Supriya Sadanand Sule, Manickam Tagore B, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Amol Ramsing Kolhe

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1006

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.09.2020

## World Environment Day

1006.  SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA DR. DNV SENTHIL KUMAR S. DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.

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

- (a) whether the World Environment Day, 2020 was celebrated in the country recently and if so, the details and the main theme thereof;
- (b) the details of the programmes organized on the occasion of World Environment Day;
- (c) whether  Government  has  launched  the  Nagar  Van  Scheme  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and the aims and objectives of the Scheme;
- (d) whether the  forest  cover  in  the  urban  areas  in  the  country  is  fast  depleting  thereby threatening the ecology, if so, the corrective steps taken by Government in this regard; and
- (e) the  further  steps  taken  by  Government  to  boost  and  develop  urban  forests  in  the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) and (b)  Yes Sir. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change celebrated World Environment Day (WED) on 5 th June, 2020. This  year the theme was  Nagar  Van  (Urban  Forest)  to  focus  on  the  importance  of  urban forests.  With  a  view  to  protect  such  forest  lands  in  urban  areas  and  to create forested areas in urban cities, with participation and collaboration between Forest Departments, Municipal Bodies, Non-Government Organizations  (NGOs),  Corporates  and  local  citizens,  the  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  launched  the  'Nagar  Van' Scheme  on  WED,  2020.  The  event  chaired  by  Hon'ble  Minister  of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon'ble  Minister  of  State,  Shri  Babul  Supriyo  saw  virtual  participation from national and international dignitaries including Executive Director, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Executive  Director,  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP),

Minister  (Forest),  Government  of  Maharasthra,  besides  senior  officers from  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  at  the central  and  state  level  and  certain  NGO  representatives.  The  event  also included, inter alia, release of best practices in urban forests and screening of  a  film  showing  success  stories  including  conversion  of  16.8  ha  of  a barren hills into urban forest in Pune.

- (c) to (e) Yes  Sir.  Forest  lands  in  urban  areas  are  generally  degraded  and  face various threats of encroachment, misuse, deforestation, etc.

The  Nagar  Van  Scheme  aims  at  creation  of  200  Nagar  Vans  in  cities having  Municipal  Corporation.  Such  Nagar  Vans  are  proposed  to  be created primarily on forest lands having minimum 10 ha to maximum 50 ha  area.  Under  the  scheme,  financial  support  is  provided  for  fencing, water and soil conservation measures etc. The scheme is to be implemented in  a  collaborative  mode  by  State  Forest  Departments  with involvement  of  other  stakeholders  including  NGOs,  Corporate  bodies, Civic Societies, etc.

Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI),  Dehradun,  an  organization  under  the Ministry carries out assessment of forest cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR).  As per the latest report i.e. ISFR- 2019, the total forest and tree cover in the country is 8,07,276  square  kilometre  (forest cover  7,12,249  square kilometre,  tree  cover  95,027  square  kilometre)  which  is  24.56%  of  the geographical  area  of  the  country.    There  is  an  increase  of  5,188  square kilometre  (forest  cover  3,976  square  kilometre,  tree  cover  1,212  square kilometre) of  total  forest  and  tree  cover  in  the  country,  including  urban areas, compared to that reported in ISFR-2017