Lok Sabha Question No. 2976 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, Rajendra Dhedya  Gavit, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Sudheer Gupta, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Chandra Sekhar Sahu

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

## LOKSABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO: 2976

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2021

## Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme

2976.  SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI RAJENDRA DHEDYA GAVIT:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

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

- (a) whether the Union Government has been providing assistance to various States under Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme;
- (b) if so, the details and the salient features of the said scheme thereof;
- (c) the details of the criteria fixed for identification of States and allocation of Central Assistance under the said scheme;
- (d) the details of funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under the said scheme in various States during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise;
- (e) whether the Government has made any assessment of the infrastructure developed in various States; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change supplements the efforts of State/Union  Territory  Governments  in  prevention  and  control  of  forest  fire  by providing financial assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Prevention  and  Management  Scheme.  The  Salient  features  of  the  scheme  are given in Annexure -1.
- (c) The tentative allocation under the scheme is done on the basis of vulnerability of forest to fire and per capita forest resource availability.
- (d) The  State/UT  wise  details  of  fund  released  under  Forest  Fire  Prevention  and Management Scheme during the last three years is at Annexure-II.
- (e) & (f) Under the scheme funds are provided for creation of infrastructure viz. communication system, development of Management Information System, watch towers,  water  storage  structures,  control  rooms  at  Division  &  Range  level,  FG barracks and inspection huts etc. State Governments/UT Administrations submit utilization certificates and progress reports of the same to the Ministry. A Third Party Evaluation of the scheme has been done by NITI Aayog in 2020-21

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2976 DUE FOR 12.03.2021 REGARDING FOREST FIRE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT  SCHEME  ASKED  BY  SHRI  SHRIRANG  APPA  BARNE,  SHRI RAJENDRA  DHEDYA  GAVIT,  SHRI  BIDYUT  BARAN  MAHATO,  SHRI  SUDHEER GUPTA, SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK AND SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU

1. Under this scheme, financial assistance for various forest fire prevention and management measures such as creation and maintenance of fire lines in forest areas, engagement of fire watchers,  creation  of  water  storage  structures  in  forest  areas,  strengthening  of  forest infrastructure, procurement of firefighting equipment, soil and moisture conservation works in  high  risk  areas,  awareness  creation,  incentivizing  villages/communities  for  protection against forest fire etc., is provided.
2.  The  Long  term  objectives  of  Forest  Fire  Prevention  and  Management  Scheme  include minimization  of  forest  fire  incidences  and  assist  in  restoring  productivity  of  forests  in  affected areas, institutionalization of the partnership with forest fringe communities for forest protection, contribution  to  the  larger  goal  of  maintaining  environmental  stability  etc. The  Short  Term Objectives  of  the  scheme  include  activities  like  to  carry  out  effective  awareness  campaign  for prevention of forest fire, to effectively prevent and control forest fires by improving the traditional practices and employing available modern methods, to impart suitable training to the field staff and forest fringe communities on fire fighting with help of prescribed means and methods in the forest areas, to encourage community participation in prevention and control of forest fire etc.
3. The funding pattern with respect to the different category of states/UTs is as below:
4.  States/UTs  submit  Annual  Plan  of  Operations  (APOs)  to  the  Ministry  as  the  scheme guidelines for availing central assistance. The APOs received from the states/UTs shall be placed before a Screening Committee for scrutiny and approval.
5.  The Central share of the sanctioned amount shall be released in two instalments. 80% of the  sanctioned  Central  share  shall  be  released  to  the  state  as  first  instalment  with  the approval of the competent authority in the Ministry. After receiving Utilisation Certificate and Progress Report for at least 50% of the central share released as first instalment, second instalment can be released.

| Category of States/UTs                                                 | Central Share   | State share   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|---------------|
| Union Territories                                                      | 100%            | 0             |
| NE states, Special category states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand | 90%             | 10%           |
| Rest of the states                                                     | 60%             | 40%           |

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2976 DUE FOR 12.03.2021 REGARDING FOREST FIRE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT  SCHEME  ASKED  BY  SHRI  SHRIRANG  APPA  BARNE,  SHRI RAJENDRA  DHEDYA  GAVIT,  SHRI  BIDYUT  BARAN  MAHATO,  SHRI  SUDHEER GUPTA, SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK AND SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU

## DETAILS OF FUNDS RELEASED UNDER CSS: FPM

(Rs. In Lakhs)

| S. No.            | States            | 2017-18 Released   | 2018-19 Released   | 2019-20 Released   |
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Other States      | Other States      |                    |                    |                    |
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh    | 0.00               | 260.06             | 216.13             |
| 2                 | Bihar             | 75.00              | 57.17              | 208.16             |
| 3                 | Chhattisgarh      | 168.00             | 104.60             | 392.07             |
| 4                 | Gujarat           | 75.00              | 92.16              | 183.92             |
| 5                 | Goa               | 0.00               | 87.83              | 0.00               |
| 6                 | Haryana           | 75.00              | 0.00               | 49.26              |
| 7                 | Himachal Pradesh  | 276.70             | 0.00               | 199.99             |
| 8                 | Jammu &Kashmir    | 75.00              | 0.00               | 0.00               |
| 9                 | Jharkhand         | 105.00             | 107.84             | 222.02             |
| 10                | Karnataka         | 105.00             | 174.70             | 136.75             |
| 11                | Kerala            | 234.53             | 279.57             | 256.80             |
| 12                | Madhya Pradesh    | 168.00             | 628.25             | 327.29             |
| 13                | Maharashtra       | 321.58             | 787.28             | 428.07             |
| 14                | Orissa            | 168.00             | 435.00             | 463.84             |
| 15                | Punjab            | 75.00              | 0.00               | 13.56              |
| 16                | Rajasthan         | 105.00             | 98.82              | 0.00               |
| 17                | Tamil Nadu        | 105.00             | 0.00               | 154.82             |
| 18                | Telangana         | 105.00             | 0.00               | 0.00               |
| 19                | Uttar Pradesh     | 75.00              | 100.61             | 97.63              |
| 20                | Uttarakhand       | 168.00             | 438.38             | 480.03             |
| 21                | West Bengal       | 75.00              | 54.14              | 95.61              |
| Total             | Total             | 2554.81            | 3706.41            | 3925.95            |
| NE &Sikkim        | NE &Sikkim        |                    |                    |                    |
| 1                 | Assam             | 0.00               | 93.23              | 0.00               |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh | 102.00             | 89.08              | 0.00               |
| 3                 | Manipur           | 110.00             | 230.54             | 55.34              |
| 4                 | Meghalaya         | 219.88             | 113.53             | 73.94              |
| 5                 | Mizoram           | 90.59              | 110.47             | 108.12             |
| 6                 | Nagaland          | 92.56              | 83.12              | 79.95              |
| 7                 | Sikkim            | 148.59             | 0.00               | 293.77             |
| 8                 | Tripura           | 66.00              | 109.73             | 103.43             |
|                   | Total             | 824.25             | 829.70             | 714.55             |
| Union Territories | Union Territories |                    |                    |                    |
| 1                 | A &NIslands       | 9.00               | 26.41              | 0.00               |
| 2                 | Chandigarh        | 8.00               | 1.00               | 0.00               |
| 3                 | D&N Haveli        | 0.00               | 0.00               | 0.00               |
| 4                 | Daman &Diu        | 0.00               | 0.00               | 0.00               |
| 5                 | Lakshadweep       | 0.00               | 0.00               | 0.00               |
| 6                 | New Delhi         | 30.00              | 0.00               | 0.00               |
| 7                 | Puducherry        | 30.00              | 49.84              | 0.00               |
|                   | Total             | 77.00              | 77.25              | 0.00               |
|                   | Grand Total       | 3456.06            | 4613.36            | 4640.50            |