Lok Sabha Question No. 3500 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Forest Based Industries
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sadashiv Kisan Lokhande

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3500

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2021

## Forest Based Industries

## 3500.  SHRI SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken/is going to take any steps to formulate appropriate programmes  for  the  overall  development  and  protection  of  forests  along  with  the development of forest based industries and people working there in;
- (b) if so, the details thereof as on date; 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)  Protection and management of forests is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Government and Union Territory Administration. Various actions to protect forest are  taken  by  concerned  State  and  Union  Territory  Forest  Department  as  per  the provisions  under  various  acts  such  as  Indian  Forest  Act,  1927,  Wildlife  (Protection) Act,  1972,  Forest  (Conservation)  Act,  1980  and  State  specific  Acts  and  Rules.  To consolidate,  manage  and  protect  forest,  various  measures  are  taken  by  State  Forest Departments, such as survey and demarcation of forest areas, construction of boundary pillars, check posts, use of modern technology (that includes wireless network, remote sensing,  Geographical  Information  System,  Global  Positioning  System),  improved mobility to the field staff by providing vehicles for patrolling, etc. Local communities are  also  encouraged  and  involved  in  conservation,  protection  and  management  of forests  through  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees/Village  Level  Committees. Further, Government of India has taken the following steps for growth and progress of Forest Based Industries:-
- (i) The Ministry has issued Wood  Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016 and amendment dated 11 th September 2017 to decentralize  the  regulatory  processes  concerning  the  wood  based  industries for the development of the sector in the country.
- (ii) The  Ministry  has  issued  suggestive  guidelines  for  relaxation  in  felling  and transit regulation for tree species grown on non-forest private land to create a conducive  environment  for  encouraging  farmers/land  owners  to  take  up agroforestry/ tree plantation.
- (iii) Various schemes are being implemented by the Central and State Government/Union  Territory  Administration  for  increase  in  forest  and  tree cover  in  the  country.  These  include  the  National  Afforestation  Programme (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,  Compensatory Afforestation  Funds  under  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Afforestation activities are also taken up under various schemes of State Government /UT Administration .
- (iv) National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM)  is  one  of  the  ongoing  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  through  plantation  activities  in  the  forest  and  non-forest areas. GIM activities were started in Financial Year 2015-16. The activities under GIM are being implemented by Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at the village level.
- (v) For  the  development  of  forest  based  industries  in  particular  wood  panel industries  and  people  working  therein,  the  institutes  under  the  Ministry  viz. Indian  Plywood  Industries  Research  and  Training  Institute  and  Institute  of Wood Science and Technology provides technical assistance and guidance in consultancy/sponsored project mode for setting up plywood, particle board and Medium Density Fiber (MDF) board manufacturing industries based on plantation grown timbers. Besides, the Institute also provides research & development,  training,  testing  and  standardization  support  to  the  wood based panels industry.

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