Lok Sabha Question No. 4128 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Capacity of Carbon Sinks
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Navneet Ravi Rana

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4128

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2021

## Capacity of Carbon Sinks

## 4128.   SHRIMATI RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI: SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA:

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

- (a) the current capacity of carbon sinks in India in terms of Carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent;
- (b) the current rate of afforestation in India, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether the said rate is commensurate with the target of creating an additional carbon sink  of  2.5  to  3billion  tonnes  of  CO2  equivalent  through  additional  forest  and  tree cover by 2030mentioned in the India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor and the intended plan to achieve the stated target;
- (e) whether the Government has made any plans to include massive tree-planting efforts and the restoration of wetlands to absorb carbon; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)& (b) According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019 prepared by Forest Survey of India, the estimated carbon in the Country's forest and tree cover in 2015 was 29.62 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. As per ISFR-2019, India's total forest cover in 2019 is 7,12,249sq. km. and total tree cover is 95,027 sq. km. Together, thisconstitutes 24.56% of the geographic area  of  the  country.  Since  2015-16  to  2019-20,  annual  afforestation  on  an  average  of  1.6 million hectares has been achieved collectively by all agencies in States/UTs through various afforestation and tree planting programmes. Achievements of afforestation/ tree planting for the year 2015-16 to 2019-20 is at Annexure.

(c) to (f) Government of India has taken several initiatives towards creating a carbon sink of 2.5  to  3  billion  tonnes  CO2  equivalent  through  additional  forest  and  tree  cover  by  2030. Financial  assistance  to  States/UTs  under  various  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  including, inter  alia, National  Afforestation  Programme,  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitat,  Project Elephant, Project Tiger and Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme are supporting such efforts. Further, afforestation is a major activity under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund. These initiatives also help in conservation of very dense forest and moderately dense forest as well as increase in forest and tree cover.

Government of India is  implementing National  Action  Plan  on  Climate Change  (NAPCC), comprising  of  eight  Missions,  which  provides  an  overarching  policy  framework  for  all climate  actions  in  the  country.  Under  NAPCC,  National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM) aims  at  protecting,  restoring  and  enhancing  India's  forest  cover  and  responding  to  climate change by means of plantation activities in forest and non-forest areas. Started in 2015-16, a sum of Rs. 455.73 crores have been released to fourteen States and one Union Territory for undertaking afforestation activities over an area of 1,67,151 hectares including restoration of Wetlands which will contribute to achieve the NDC target.

India has also committed to achieve land degradation neutrality and restoration of 26 million hectares  of  degraded  land  by  2030.  This  will  help  in  preserving  forests  and  biodiversity, facilitating  conservation  of  natural  resources  and  improving  carbon  sinks.  MoEF&CC  is currently  implementing  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme  'National  Plan  for  Conservation  of Aquatic ecosystems (NPCA)' for Conservation and Management of Wetlands NPCA aims at holistic  conservation  and  restoration  of  wetlands  including  lakes  for  achieving  the  desired water quality enhancement and improvement in biodiversity and ecosystems.

Further, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is also implementing the National Agroforestry  Policy  (NAP)  since  2014. The  XV  Finance  Commission  has  assigned  10% weight to forest and ecology in its horizontal devolution criteria and weights.

***

Annexure

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO REPLY IN PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  4128  DUE  FOR  19.03.2021  REGARDING  "CAPACITY  OF  CARBON SINKS' RAISED BY SHRIMATI RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI AND SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA.

| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT   | Area covered under Afforestation / Tree Plantation (in Ha)   | Area covered under Afforestation / Tree Plantation (in Ha)   | Area covered under Afforestation / Tree Plantation (in Ha)   | Area covered under Afforestation / Tree Plantation (in Ha)   | Area covered under Afforestation / Tree Plantation (in Ha)   |
|-----------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT   | 2015-16                                                      | 2016-17                                                      | 2017-18                                                      | 2018-19                                                      | 2019-20                                                      |
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh     | 133618                                                       | 274635                                                       | 229409                                                       | 312186                                                       | 190432                                                       |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh  | 8                                                            | NR                                                           | 1861                                                         | 1614                                                         | 483                                                          |
| 3.        | Assam              | NR                                                           | NR                                                           | 2085                                                         | 1020                                                         | 1394                                                         |
| 4.        | Bihar              | 41419                                                        | 43279                                                        | 35114                                                        | 21446                                                        | 10588                                                        |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh       | 133531                                                       | 98697                                                        | 26037                                                        | 81644                                                        | 18735                                                        |
| 6.        | Goa                | 21                                                           | 38                                                           | 15                                                           | 24                                                           | 30                                                           |
| 7.        | Gujarat            | 150822                                                       | 168733                                                       | 177148                                                       | 31712                                                        | 25149                                                        |
| 8.        | Haryana            | 30643                                                        | 25474                                                        | 17000                                                        | 15639                                                        | 21022                                                        |
| 9.        | Himachal Pradesh   | 11449                                                        | 10052                                                        | 9200                                                         | 23406                                                        | 20261                                                        |
| 10.       | Jammu and Kashmir  | 10863                                                        | 7307                                                         | 11371                                                        | NR                                                           | 4526                                                         |
| 11.       | Jharkhand          | NR                                                           | 21005                                                        | 22729                                                        | 15490                                                        | 31476                                                        |
| 12.       | Karnataka          | 69093                                                        | 61686                                                        | 62108                                                        | 41596                                                        | 40304                                                        |
| 13.       | Kerala             | 1117                                                         | 46695                                                        | 11477                                                        | 12982                                                        | 10274                                                        |
| 14.       | Madhya Pradesh     | 7994                                                         | 99197                                                        | 125750                                                       | 174309                                                       | 76708                                                        |
| 15.       | Maharashtra        | 55793                                                        | 42100                                                        | 37393                                                        | 206615                                                       | 501416                                                       |
| 16.       | Manipur            | 2855                                                         | 12247                                                        | 6442                                                         | 5281                                                         | 1856                                                         |
| 17.       | Meghalaya          | 3186                                                         | NR                                                           | 2743                                                         | 780                                                          | 785                                                          |
| 18.       | Mizoram            | NR                                                           | 4050                                                         | 4020                                                         | 4407                                                         | 4425                                                         |
| 19.       | Nagaland           | NR                                                           | NR                                                           | 1539                                                         | 1317                                                         | 1468                                                         |
| 20.       | Orissa             | 170808                                                       | 401452                                                       | 382364                                                       | 73994                                                        | 84130                                                        |
| 21.       | Punjab             | 2934                                                         | 5469                                                         | 6845                                                         | 12177                                                        | 24712                                                        |
| 22.       | Rajasthan          | 70893                                                        | 66815                                                        | 43873                                                        | 34798                                                        | 24533                                                        |
| 23.       | Sikkim             | 1325                                                         | 3376                                                         | 365                                                          | 41                                                           | 2510                                                         |
| 24.       | Tamil Nadu         | 45129                                                        | 39790                                                        | 33147                                                        | 40882                                                        | 14532                                                        |
| 25.       | Telangana          | 236598                                                       | 438059                                                       | 489673                                                       | 453325                                                       | 564760                                                       |
| 26.       | Tripura            | 2339                                                         | 4070                                                         | 4858                                                         | 8112                                                         | 33747                                                        |
| 27.       | Uttarakhand        | 17846                                                        | 18251                                                        | 21397                                                        | 20713                                                        | 22396                                                        |
| 28.       | Uttar Pradesh      | 165867                                                       | 92128                                                        | 51513                                                        | NR                                                           | 347670                                                       |
| 29.       | West Bengal        | 12169                                                        | 2722                                                         | 25186                                                        | 30694                                                        | 36597                                                        |
| 30.       | A &NIslands        | 1300                                                         | 1125                                                         | 713                                                          | 3896                                                         | 2421                                                         |
| 31.       | Chandigarh         | 167                                                          | 178                                                          | 176                                                          | 180                                                          | 123                                                          |
| 32.       | D &NHaveli         | 225                                                          | 220                                                          | 200                                                          | 21                                                           | 225                                                          |
| 33.       | Daman &Diu         | NR                                                           | 10                                                           | 15                                                           | NR                                                           | 60                                                           |
| 34.       | Delhi              | 1498                                                         | 1299                                                         | NR                                                           | NR                                                           | 3956                                                         |
| 35.       | Lakshadweep        | NR                                                           | NR                                                           | NR                                                           | NR                                                           | NR                                                           |
| 36.       | Puducherry         | 86                                                           | 250                                                          | 63                                                           | 52                                                           | 80                                                           |
|           | Total              | 1381596                                                      | 1990409                                                      | 1843829                                                      | 1630352                                                      | 2123786                                                      |
|           | NR: Not Reported   |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |                                                              |