Lok Sabha Question No. 1910 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Promotion of Forestry
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Parvesh Sahib Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTIO N NO. 1910

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## Promotion of Forestry

## 1910.   SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH VERMA:

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

- (a)   whether the Government has thought of any policy to promote forestry on the fallow land, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (b)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  combat  desertification  through increasing the forest cover, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c)   whether the Government has taken any steps to conserve the mangroves from coastal erosion, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The  National  Forest  Policy  (NFP)  1988  envisages  the  national  goal  to  have  a minimum of one- third of the total land area under forest or tree cover and twothird  of  the  area  under  such  cover  in  the  hill  and  mountainous  regions  of  the country.  In  consonance  with  NFP,  1988,  the  Ministry  has  been  taking  several initiatives forpromoting forestry including fallow lands.The Ministry is implementing,  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme,  National  Mission  for  a  Green India (GIM) on landscape approach also covers fallow lands  in which  appropriate interventions as applicable are taken up by the concerned implementing agencies.
- (b) Government is implementing several schemes/programmes to combat desertification through  increasing forest cover. Various  afforestation related schemes  implemented  by  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change (MoEF&CC) and other ministries aim at increasing and improving forest and tree cover.  MoEF&CC supports the States/Union Territories for carrying out various afforestation  activities  through  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  conservation, development and promotion of forests under its major schemes namely, National Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM)  and  Forest  Fire  Protection  &  Management Scheme (FFPM). Compensatory afforestation under CAMPA has also been used to  increase  forest  cover  across  the  country.  State  Governments  also  implement various schemes for restoration of degraded forest areas.
- (c) Mangroves  are  the  first  line  of  defence  for  coastal  communities.  They  stabilize shorelines  by  slowing  erosion  and  provide  natural  barriers  protecting  coastal communities from increased storm surge, flooding, and hurricanes. The Government  of  India  has  taken  steps  to  protect  sustain,  conserve  and  augment forests  in  the  country  through  promotional  as  well  as  regulatory  measures.  The promotional  measures  are  being  implemented  through  a  Central  Sector  Scheme under National Coastal Mission Programme on 'Conservation and Management of Mangroves and Coral Reefs'. Under this programme, annual Management Action Plan (MAP) for conservation and management of mangroves are formulated and implemented in all the coastal States and Union Territories.

The Government under Centrally sponsored scheme for conservation & Management of Mangroves, extend assistance to Coastal State/UTs for implementation of action plans including survey and demarcation, alternation and supplementary  livelihood,  protection  measures  and  education  and  awareness activities. The Ministry piloted an Integrated Coastal Zone management Project in Coastal  stretches  of  three  states  namely  Gujarat,  Odisha  and  West  Bengal,  with objective  of  Conservation  and  Protection  of  Coastal  resources  which  included plantation of mangroves as one of the major activities.

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