Lok Sabha Question No. 2448 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-13
Subject: Restoration of Degraded Land
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal, Arvind Kumar Sharma, Shankar Lalwani

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2448

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2021

## Restoration of Degraded Land

2448.  DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL: DR. ARVIND KUMAR SHARMA: SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  made  any  achievement  towards  restoration  of  26  million hectares  of  degraded  land  and  achieve  land  degradation  neutrality,  which  is  to  be achieved  finally  till  2030,  as  per  pledge  made  to  UN  Conference  on  combating Desertification;
- (b) if so, the details of steps taken/proposed to be taken; and
- (c) if not the reasons therefor?

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

(a) to (c)

.

The commitment for the restoration of degraded land of 26 million hectares includes 21 million hectares of Bonn challenge Pledge made during 2015 in Parisand 5 million hectares of commitment  made  during  the  fourteenth  session  of  conference  of  parties  of  United  Nations Convention to combat Desertification, held in India.

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  SinchayeeYojna  (PMKSY)  which  contribute  to  achievement  of  Land Degradation Neutrality.

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.

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  by  implementing  as  one  of  the  measures  to  increase  and improve forest area in the country.

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.

Department of Land Resources implements Integrated Watershed  Management Programme  (IWMP),  with  primary  objective  to  develop  rainfed  and  degraded  lands.   The activities  undertaken, inter  alia, include  ridge  area  treatment,  drainage  line  treatment,  soil  and moisture  conservation,  rainwater  harvesting,  nursery  raising, pasture  development,  livelihoods for  assetless  persons,  etc.  Watershed  component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojna, through  these  interventions seeks  to  ensure  sustainable  development  through  improved  natural resource management and better resilience of farmers to climate change.

Afforestation  and  tree  plantation  activities  in  the  country  are  undertaken  as  a  cross sectoral and multi-departmental activity under various schemes of different ministries and also through  State  plan  budget.  Every  year  targets  for  afforestation  are  fixed  by  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC),  in  consultation  with  the  States  and achievements by states  are  monitored  by  MoEFCC  and Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme Implementation  under  Twenty  Point  Programme  (TPP).      The  area  of  land  covered  through afforestation under the Twenty Point Program during the period 2016-2021 is approximately9.58 million hectares. The target fixed for the year 2021-22 is 2.69 million hectares.

Ministry  of  Environment  Forest  &  Climate Change  has  constituted  an  inter-ministerial committee  to  co-ordinate,  monitor  and  review  the  progress  of  ongoing  schemes  of  land restoration.

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