Lok Sabha Question No. 3101 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Land Degradation
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

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

## LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3101

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2021

## Land Degradation

## 3101. SHRI T.R. BAALU

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that a massive ecological and livelihood crisis is looming before the country and the issue of land degradation needs urgent attention and priority;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the measures taken by the Government to make land degradation ahigh-priority policy objective to tackle the above issue;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any initiatives to ensure adoption of strict policies for land  use  change,  sustainable  agricultural  practices  and  involvement  of  communities  in greening process in view of lengthy time required for reclamation of land and the sustained fiscal and human resource support for watershed management; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (d) Land is a fundamental natural resource, both for the survival and prosperity. It provides all the provisioning services of ecosystems that are home, food, raw materials, fresh water and medical resources through biodiversity to the entire living organisms including human beings.

The Government has launched several schemes/ programmes which include  inter -alia the National Afforestation Program, Green India Mission, Watershed Development Component of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojna  (PMKSY)  which  contribute  to  restoration  of  land which, in turn, helps in livelihood security.

Afforestation  and  tree  plantation  activities  in  the  country  are  undertaken  as  a  cross sectoral  and  multi-departmental  activity  under  various  schemes  of  different  ministries.  The annual targets for afforestation are fixed under Twenty Point Program (TPP). The area of land covered through afforestation under the Twenty Point Program during the period 2015-2021 is about 10.81 million hectares.

National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the ongoing eight Missions outlined under  the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change.  It  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.

As  one  of  the  measures  to  increase  and  improve  forest  area  in  the  country,  National Afforestation  and  Eco-development  Board  (NAEB)  is  implementing  National  Afforestation

Programme (NAP)  for  ecological  restoration  of  degraded  forests  and  adjoining  areas  through people's participation.

Initiatives  have  been  taken  to  check  land  degradation  under  the  National  Mission  on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) supported projects viz  community-based plantation towards land reclamation, land greening through afforestation and plantation towards watershed management.

Department of Agriculture Co-operation and Farmers' Welfare  is implementing the SubMission on Agroforestry (SMAF ) Scheme since 2016-17 to promote/encourage the agroforestry practices (tree plantation on farm land along with crops/ cropping system) to help the farmers get additional income and make their farming system more climate resilient and adaptive. Under the scheme, assistance to farmers is given through State Govt. for nursery development, boundary plantation  and  block  plantation  of  prominent  tree  species  to  promote,  inter-alia,  fruit  bearing trees, tree borne oilseeds, medicinal & aromatic plants, silk & lac rearing host plants in addition to timber species, so that farmers get early returns.

Also,  plantation  of  trees  has  been  undertaken  along  national  highways  by  National Highways Authority of India.

Any  change  in  land-use  from  forest  to  non-forestry  purpose  is  permitted  by  the  State Government,  only  after  the  prior  approval  of  the  Central  Government  obtained  under  the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Whenever  such  change  is  allowed, appropriate mitigation measures are taken in the form of undertaking compensatory afforestation, payment of Net Present Value etc

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