Lok Sabha Question No. 1712 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: National Forest Policy
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jayant Sinha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1712

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## National Forest Policy

## 1712.   SHRI JAYANT SINHA:

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

- (a) the current area under forest and tree cover till now;
- (b) the  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  the  forest  and  tree  cover  of  the country to 33% as per the National Forest Policy and the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is planning to amend the National Forest Policy to renew the provisions in line with recent developments in climate change, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  Forest  Survey of  India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially, since 1987 and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The total forest and tree cover of the country as per ISFR 2021 assessment is 8,09,537 square kilometer which is 24.62% of the geographical area of the country. The total forest  and  tree  cover  has  increased  by  2261  square  kilometer  as  compared  to  the  ISFR  2019 assessment.

(b)  The  Ministry  provides  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  States/UTs  under  various Centrally Sponsored Schemes namely Green India Mission (GIM), Forest Fire Prevention and Management  Scheme,  CAMPA,  Nagar  Van  Yojana  and  other  schemes  of  line  ministries  to increase the forest and tree cover of the country as per the mandate of National Forest Policy.

Green India Mission (GIM) activities were started in the Financial Year 2015-16. During the last five years, the amount of Rs. 755.28 Crores has been released to seventeen States and one union territory for taking up the afforestation activities.

The  Ministry  has  also  implemented  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme,  National  Afforestation programme for regeneration  of  degraded  forest  and  adjoining  areas  in  the  country.  Under  the scheme, an amount of Rs. 108.57 crore has been released during the years 2019-20 to 2021-22. National Afforestation Programme is now stands merged with Green India Mission.

The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages creation of 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25  under  the  funds  available  under  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  (CAMPA).  The Nagar Van Yojana aims to enhance the green cover in the urban and peri-urban areas including biological diversity, provide ecological benefits and improve the quality of life of city dwellers. So far, the Ministry has approved 270 projects under Nagar Van Yojana with the total cost of Rs.238.64 Crore.

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA fund) is being utilized by States/UTs for taking up compensatory afforestation as per approved Annual Plan of Operations for compensating the loss  of  forest  &  tree  cover  due  to  diversion  of  forest  land  for  developmental  projects  as  per provisions  of  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Act,  2016  (CAF  Act)  and  CAF  Rules,  2018. During  the  last  five  years,  an  amount  of  Rs.  55,394.16  Crore  has  been  released  to  State/UT Forest Department under CAMPA funds.

Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up  under  various  programmes  and  schemes  of  line Ministry  such  as  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme,  National Bamboo Mission, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry etc. and under schemes of State Government/UT Administration  through  different  departments,  Non-Government  Organizations,  Civil  Society, Corporate bodies etc. The multi departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving and enhancing forest cover in the country.

(c)  Ministry  has  formulated  draft  National  Forest  Policy  after  wide  consultations  with  various stakeholders, including inter-ministerial consultations and placed in public domain in 2018. The draft  Policy  recommends  to  integrate  climate  change  mitigation  and  adaptation  measures  in forest management including resilience to climate change by forest dependent communities.

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