Lok Sabha Question No. 2088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: CAMPA in the North East
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2088

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2024

## CAMPA in the North East

## 2088.  SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

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

- (a) the  details  regarding  the  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Funds allocated to and utilised in the North Eastern Region (NER) during the last five years, State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  maintains  data  on  the  survival  rate  of  saplings  planted through CAMPA and if so, the details of the same for the NER during the last five years, State-wise;
- (c) if  not,  the  reasons  therefor  and  the  steps  being  taken  to  improve  the  long-term monitoring of saplings planted through CAMPA;
- (d) whether the Government has data on the proportion of compensatory afforestation projects that consists of monocultures and if so, the details thereof for the NER; and
- (e) whether  the Government  has  faced  difficulties in finding suitable land for compensatory afforestation projects and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE

CHANGE

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) The Compensatory Afforestation (CAMPA) Fund is utilized in accordance with the provisions of  the  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Act,  2016  (CAF  Act,  2016)  and  the  rules  thereunder  for compensating the loss of forest and ecosystem services due to diversion of forest land in accordance with terms and conditions of forest clearance accorded by the Central Government as per provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. State CAMPA funds are available with the concerned State Government and are utilised for afforestation and other related CAMPA activities approved  in  the  annual  plan  of  operation  (APO)  by  National  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund management & Planning Authority (National CAMPA). The details of the APO approved by National CAMPA and the funds utilized over the past five years by the North Eastern States are attached as Annexure I .

(b) & (c)   The main objectives of the National CAMPA is to ecologically restore degraded forest land or/ and non-forest land as approved in the forest diversion proposal through afforestation and assisted natural regeneration, enabling it to evolve into the representative forest type of the area over a period of time. Given the degraded conditions of the forests, efforts are made to ensure the maximum possible survival  of  planted  saplings,  which  is  regularly  monitored  through  internal  monitoring  by  the concerned State Forest Department and the State Government. Replacement of mortality of saplings is  carried  out  in  subsequent  maintenance  of  plantation.  Additionally,  third-party  monitoring  is conducted periodically. Protection and improvement measures are taken until the plantations are fully established. Forest Survey of India also monitors afforestation efforts through the e-Greenwatch portal.

The survival percentage during the past five years, as reported by the States, is attached as Annexure II .

(d) Compensatory afforestation is carried out as per the approved scheme, which is an integral part of  the  forest  diversion  proposal  approved  by  the  Central  Government.  The  primary  focus  is  to ecologically restore the non-forest or degraded forest land through site-specific afforestation activities, supplemented with suitable measures for fire protection, enrichment of biodiversity and soil and water conservation. As  per  the  guidelines  issued  by  the  Ministry,  the  State  is  required  to  prepare  a compensatory  afforestation  scheme,  ensuring  that  the  selection  of  species  is  heterogeneous  and consists of indigenous species.

(e) The responsibility for identifying the land for compensatory afforestation lies with the user agency, which in consultation  with the State Government, selects the appropriate  land. As per the provisions  contained  in  the  Van  (Sanrakshan  Evam  Samvardhan)  Rules,  2023,  the  compensatory afforestation can be considered in other State/Union Territory on case to case basis, in case it is not possible to raise compensatory afforestation in the same State or Union Territory, where diversion of forest land is proposed.

***

## Status  of  Fund  approved/allocated  by  National Authority  &  fund  utilised  in  North  Eastern Region (NER) during the last five years

(Rs. in crore)

| S. No.   | State Name        | 2019-20                  | 2019-20       | 2020-21                  | 2020-21       | 2021-22                  | 2021-22       | 2022-23                  | 2022-23       | 2023-24                  | 2023-24       |
|----------|-------------------|--------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|---------------|
| S. No.   | State Name        | Fund approved /allocated | Fund utilised | Fund approved /allocated | Fund utilised | Fund approved /allocated | Fund utilised | Fund approved /allocated | Fund utilised | Fund approved /allocated | Fund utilised |
| 1        | Arunachal Pradesh | 0.00                     | 166.20*       | 155.46                   | 198.91        | 240.35                   | 242.29        | 195.29                   | 189.27        | 190.69                   | 183.23        |
| 2        | Assam             | 55.89                    | 32.02         | 88.34                    | 72.52         | 95.01                    | 67.05         | 162.57                   | 109.89        | 109.69                   | 74.30         |
| 3        | Manipur           | 30.36                    | 30.98         | 27.79                    | 27.79         | 25.09                    | 25.09         | 22.59                    | 22.59         |                          |               |
| 4        | Meghalaya         | Nil                      | Nil           | 33.97                    | 22.07         | 36.40                    | 34.59         | 26.67                    | 9.06          | 30.91                    | 10.26         |
| 5        | Mizoram           | Nil                      | Nil           | 32.66                    | 26.00         | 18.08                    | 17.19         | 16.74                    | 11.61         | 14.60                    | 5.24          |
| 6        | Nagaland**        | -                        | -             | -                        | -             | -                        | -             | -                        | -             | -                        | -             |
| 7        | Sikkim            | 44.96                    | 39.93         | 66.90                    | 55.71         | 73.15                    | 69.57         | 69.82                    | 70.20         | 79.95                    | 63.03         |
| 8        | Tripura           | 20.84                    | 18.65         | 21.51                    | 17.56         | 35.24                    | 23.32         | 52.90                    | 34.80         | 85.77                    | 32.51         |
|          | Total             | 152.05                   | 287.78        | 426.63                   | 420.56        | 523.32                   | 479.1         | 546.58                   | 447.42        | 531.87                   | 388.83        |

## Survival percentage of plantation in North Eastern Region (NER) during the last five years

|   S. No. | State Name        | 2019-20        | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   |
|----------|-------------------|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|        1 | Arunachal Pradesh | 50-60%         | 50-60%    | 50-75%    | 40-70%    | 40-60%    |
|        2 | Assam             | 76.91%         | 70%       | 75%       | 78.33%    | 83.75%    |
|        3 | Manipur           | 76.40%         | 68.70%    | 82.60%    | 73.06     | 72.42%    |
|        4 | Meghalaya         | Not Applicable | 75%       | 67%       | 67%       | 67%       |
|        5 | Mizoram           | 77-90%         | 70-93%    | 70-95%    | 83%       | 83%       |
|        6 | Sikkim            | 70%            | 75%       | 70%       | 72%       | 69%       |
|        7 | Tripura           | 72%            | 78%       | 85%       | 75%       | 85%       |