Lok Sabha Question No. 146 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Development of Forest Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.146

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2021

## Development of Forest Areas

## 146. SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

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

- (a)  the  reasons  for  the  day-by-day  worsening  of  environmental  condition  despite  the  measures taken regarding its protection including the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  constitute  forest  development  committees  of  youth, women and men for development of forest area development; if so, the details thereof; if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the reasons for the plants and trees not growing on the land in adequate number despite lakhscrores of trees and plants being planted each year;
- (d) whether the Government is aware of its serious consequences; if so, the details of effective steps taken in this regard; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to fix accountability of officers and employees in the forest area  as  the Banswara-Dungarpur parliamentary constituency is tribal dominated area and if so, the time by which it is likely to be done and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Environmental  conditions  are  quite  complex  and  challenging.  The  Government  is taking  all  possible  steps  for  addressing  these  challenges  to  improve  environment. Further, pollution of any geographical location is attributed mainly due to anthropogenic activities which inter-alia include activities like industrial, commercial,  transportation,  construction,  etc.  With  the  increase  of  population  and demand for development, factors causing environmental pollution are both point and non point source in nature. For prevention and control of pollution, the Government has taken various steps like notification of industry specific emission and effluent standards  under  the  Environment  (Protection)  Rules,  1986  and  their  enforcement through consent mechanism, regular monitoring, issuance of directions for installation of online effluent and emission monitoring systems for continuous check on pollution levels.
- (b) to (d) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) implements two major afforestation schemes namely National Mission for a Green India (GIM) for plantation on landscape basis and National Afforestation Programme (NAP) for

tree  plantation  in  degraded  forests  through  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees (JFMCs)  at  village  level.  Already  in  every  forest  Division  JFM  Committees constituting local youth, women and men are in place. They are mainly involved in afforestation, forestry work and conservation activities. People's participation in the tree plantation and forest conservation is encouraged.

Afforestation  activities  are  under  taken  by  respective  States  in  their  programmes. The  Ministry  also  supports  the  efforts  of  State  Government  through  Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS). Every effort is made to make plantations successful and mortality  replacements  are  carried  out  from  time  to  time.  However,  quality  of plantation  sites,  vagaries  of  nature  and  anthropogenic  factors  affect  the  overall survival of plantations.

The forest cover has stabilized and has been gradually increasing over the years. The latest 'India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2019) revealed that the total forest cover of  the  country  is  7,12,249  square  kilometres  (which  is  21.67  percent  of  the geographical area of the country) compared to 7,08,273 sq km (21.54 percent of the geographical area of the country) in ISFR 2017. This is an increase of 3976 sq km of forest cover combined, at the national level, as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2017.

Every  two  years,  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI)  under  the  Ministry  undertakes assessment  of  country's  forest  resources,  the  result  of  which  are  presented  as  the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per ISFR, 2019, district wise forest cover of Banswara  District  and  Dungarpur  District  is  268.42  sq  km  and  302.30  sq  km respectively.  In  Banswara-  Dungarpur  Parliamentary  Constituency,  there  is  an increase of 7.42 sq km and 11.30 sq km of forest cover in Banswara and Dungarpur District respectively compared to data published in ISFR 2017.

- (e) As per the report received from  Rajasthan  Forest  Department,  for monitoring  and evaluation of development activities carried out under various schemes, a separate wing under various schemes, a separate wing under APCCF (M&E) is working in the department. Suitable actions are being taken against officers/employees who are responsible for plantation failure by the relevant rules of the concerned state.

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