Lok Sabha Question No. 762 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: Abnormal Climate Patterns
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: LAKHAN LAL SAHU

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 762

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.03.2016

## Abnormal Climate Patterns

## 762. SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU:

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

- (a) whether abnormal climatic conditions and occurrence Tsunami, heavy rainfall, drought etc. in various parts of the country are caused by global warming;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the names of the places in the country which are severely affected due to climate change;
- (c) whether the Government is contemplating to launch a scheme to increase the forest coverage to tackle the problems caused by global warming and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the total funds sanctioned for the purpose?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) & (b): As per the information supplied by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, there is no conclusive evidence to attribute all observed weather and climate variability to the increased concentrations of Green House Gases (GHGs) and associated global warming. However, gradual increasing trend in respect of surface temperature (maximum and minimum) across the globe is found to be in line with the rise of GHGs over the recent decades. Daily mean temperature over the country is found to be increasing more or less at the same rate as the global mean (0.63 o C since 1901). Spatial pattern of trends in the mean annual temperature shows significant positive (increasing) trend over most parts of  the  country  except  over  parts  of  Rajasthan,  Gujarat  and  Bihar,  where  significant  negative (decreasing) trends were observed.

Extreme  rainfall  events  that  occured  at  some  isolated  places  (viz.  heavy  rainfall  over  Mumbai ,Rajasthan, Uttrakahand and Kashmir etc.) are highly localized and are part of the natural variability of  the  Indian  monsoon  system.  Although,  some  recent studies  hint  at  an  increasing  frequency  and intensity of extremes in rainfall during the past 40-50 years, their attribution to global warming is yet to be established.

(c) & (d): For development/expansion of forest area in the country, afforestation programmes have been taken up under various Centrally Sponsored  Schemes  such  as  National Afforestation Programme  (NAP),  Green  India  Mission  (GIM),  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Integrated  Watershed  Management  Programme  (IWMP)  which from  2015-16  has  been  amalgamated  as  the  Watershed  Development  Component  of  the  'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)'. Further, under National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), different State Plan/ Non-Plan Schemes including Externally Aided Projects have been taken up.  Under NAP, an amount of  Rs. 3545 crore has been invested to treat an area of 20.99 lakh hectare till 2014-2015.

The Green India Mission aims at increasing the forest/ tree cover by 5 million hectare as well as, increasing the quality of the existing forest cover in another 5 million hectare. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released Rs.49.94 Crores and 12.65 crores to the States in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 respectively for preparatory activities for implementation of Green India Mission.  The  activities  undertaken  by  the  State  Governments  under  preparatory  phase  include institutional strengthening, training, identification of landscapes and preparation of Perspective Plan for implementation of Green India Mission.

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