Lok Sabha Question No. 981 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Forest Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 981

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## Forest Areas

## 981. SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL:

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

- (a) the details of the policy and scheme of the Government for developing forest areas in the country, State/UT-wise particularly in Rajasthan; and
- (b) the steps taken/schemes formulated by the Government regarding forest area in Rajasthan and the progress made in this regard during the last three years?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Government of India enunciated the National Forest Policy, 1988 to be followed in the management of State Forests in the country. Main thrust in the existing National Forest Policy,  1988  is  the  conservation  of  forests  which  includes  preservation,  maintenance, sustainable utilization, restoration and enhancement of the natural environment.

The National Forest Policy, 1988 is applicable in all States/UTs which  prescribes the national goal to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area of the country under forest  or  tree  cover.  Rajasthan  State  Forest  Policy  2010  proposes  to  have  20  percent forest cover of the total geographical area of the State.

To  achieve  the  target  as  envisaged  in  the  National  Forest  Policy,  1988  including expansion  of  forest  area  and  maintaining  the  existing  forest  cover  of  the  country, afforestation  programmes  are  being  taken  up  under  various  Centrally  Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programmes (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM) being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up  under  various  programmes/funding  sources such  as  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme,  Pradhan Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana,  Compensatory  Afforestation  and  under  concerned State/UT schemes/plans.

GIM aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India's forest cover and responding to

Climate  Change.  NAP  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  afforestation  and  ecorestoration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through people's participation.

Apart from afforestation schemes, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also  implements  other  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  such  as  Intensification  of  Forest Management (IFMS) and Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat (IDWH) in forest area of the country. Under IFMS, the scheme aims to support efforts of States/UTs for forest  protection.  Under  IDWH,  financial  assistance  as  well  as  technical  assistance  is provided  to  States  and  UTs  for  better  protection  and  conservation  of  wildlife  and  its habitat.

As  per  information  received  from  Government  of  Rajasthan,  the  major/  important ongoing schemes of  Forest  Department  are NABARD  financed Afforestation Project, Rajasthan forestry and Biodiversity Project, Rajasthan State CAMPA, Climate Change & Combating Desertification, National Forest Development Programme, Reforestation of Degraded Forests, Bhankhara Canal Plantation, Gang Canal Plantation, Environment Forestry and Farm Forestry.

- (b) Under  National  Afforestation  Programme,  over  21  lakh  hectare  area  sanctioned  for treatment  under  afforestation  and  eco-restoration  of  degraded  forests  in  the  country including the State of Rajasthan through people's participation since inception in 2000 with an investment of Rs. 3874 crores till 2018-19.

GIM activities were started in the financial year 2015-16. A sum of Rs. 282.12 crores has been released to twelve states for undertaking the afforestation activities over an area of 109722.156 hectares.

Government of  India  has  released  Rs  47436.18  crores  to  the  27  States/UTs,  out  of which Rs. 1748.26 crores was released to Rajasthan under Compensatory Afforestation Fund for activities like compensatory afforestation, artificial regeneration, assisted natural regeneration and other allied forestry activities.

Under Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme of IFMS, a total of Rs. 378.04 lakh released to Rajasthan in the last three years for forest protection and improvement of forest areas in the State.

In  addition,  under  the  major/  important  nine  ongoing  schemes  of  Rajasthan  Forest Department, a total  of  122394.70  hectares  has  been  afforested  during  last  three  years and 139.70 lakhs of seedlings were distributed to farmers, schools, Panchayats etc for plantation under farm forestry.

Further,  the  concerted  efforts  of  Central  and  State  Government  through  various schemes/steps have, resulted in an increase of 466 sq. km of forest cover in Rajasthan between 2015-2017.