Lok Sabha Question No. 196 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Steps to Check Deforestation
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Dulu Mahato, Shri Bidyut Baran Mahato

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 196 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## Steps to Check Deforestation

196. SHRI DULU MAHATO:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

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

- (a) the reasons of increasing rate of deforestation in the State of Jharkhand and whether the  Government  has  formulated  any  special  scheme  to  check  the  increasing  rate  of deforestation inJharkhand, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the steps being taken by the Government for forest conservation at present;
- (c) the details of steps taken or being taken by the Government to ensure compliance of the environmental rules in the State of Jharkhand;
- (d) whether effective enforcement mechanism is in place regarding the said rules, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government is implementing any programme to ensure participation of local communities in conservation of forests and environment; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) & (b) The Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry assesses  forest  cover  of  the  country  biennially  and  the  findings  are  published  in  India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The wall-to-wall forest cover mapping exercise is carried out using remote sensing, supported by intensive ground verification and field data from the National Forest Inventory. As per the latest ISFR-2021, there has been an increase of 110 Sq km in forest cover, compared to the same as per ISFR-2019, in Jharkhand.

(c)&  (d)  As  per  information  received  from  the  State  Government  of  Jharkhand,  the Jharkhand  State  Pollution Control Board  as  a State regulatory body  ensures  the compliance of registered industrial units/concerned agencies as per the relevant Acts & rules. Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board is empowered to take corrective measures on defaulting units by imposing Environmental Compensation/Issuing revocation directions or closure directions, under different Acts.

(e)  &  (f)For  the  conservation  of forests  and  environment,  the  Government is  implementing various  schemes  and  programmes  such  as  National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM), Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) and Mangrove Initiative  for  Shoreline  Habitats  &  Tangible  Incomes  (MISHTI)  etc.  These  schemes  and programmes  support  the  efforts  of  the  States  and  UTs  for  ecological  restoration  through afforestation in  and  outside  forest areas,  forest  landscape restoration,  habitat  improvement, soil and water conservation measures, and protection. In all these schemes and programmes, participation  of  local  communities  is  involved.  Earlier,  'Participatory  Forest  Management' was institutionalised as an integral part of forest governance and management. Under Joint Forest  Management  (JFM)  programme,  the  forest  areas  are  jointly  managed  by  the  local communities  along  with  State  Governments/  UT  administrations  as  per  the  prescribed guidelines. The objectives are to ensure sustainable management of forest resources, improve forest cover, restore degraded forest land, promote conservation awareness through environmental education, restore watershed capability incatchment areas and assure employment opportunities to the local communities

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