Lok Sabha Question No. 115 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-21
Subject: National Forest Policy
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK, KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No.115

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2015

## National Forest Policy

## 115. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK: SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

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

- (a) whether the National Forest Policy envisages a goal of forest and tree cover   over one third of the geographical area of the country;
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government in the last decade to achieve the above goal and the percentage increase in forest and tree cover during this period;
- (c) whether the pace of increase in forest and tree cover is very slow; and
- (d) if  so,  the  additional  steps  the  Government  is  taking  to  accelerate  the  pace  and  the time-frame fixed therefor?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d) Yes Sir. The National Forest Policy, 1988 provides for having a minimum of onethird of the total land area of the country under forest and tree cover.  As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2003, total forest and tree cover of the country was 23.68 percent of the total geographical area, which has increased to 24.01 percent according to the latest ISFR 2013.

Afforestation  in  the  country  is  taken  up  under  various  Centrally  Sponsored Schemes  such  as  National  Afforestation  Programme  (NAP),  Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Integrated Watershed Management  Programme,  National  Bamboo  Mission  and  under  Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, 13th Finance Commission Grant, different State Plan/ Non- Plan Schemes including externally aided projects. National Afforestation Programme of the Ministry of Environment ,Forest and Climate Change  is a 100%  Centrally Sponsored Scheme  for Afforestation  and  tree  plantation  and  eco-restoration  of  degraded  forests  and adjoining  areas  in  the  country.  The  Scheme  is  being  implemented  through  a decentralized  mechanism  of  State  Forest  Development  Agency  at  State  level, Forest Development Agency at Forest Division level and Joint Forest Management Committees at Village levels. An amount of Rs.2500 crores has been approved for NAP in the 12 th Five Year Plan.

There  is  no  time  limit  fixed  for  achieving  the  goal  envisaged  under  National Forest Policy. However, in addition to the existing efforts, the recently launched Green India Mission (GIM) aims at both increasing the forest & tree cover by 5 million hectare (mha), as well as increasing the quality of the existing forest cover in another 5 mha. The Ministry has released to the tune of Rs.4994.55 lakhs and 1265.50  lakhs  to  the  states  in  the  financial  year  2012-13  and  2013-14  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 GIM.

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