National Mission for a Green India: Overview

National Mission for a Green India: Overview

Question : Government has proposed the National Mission for a Green India to ensure biodiversity conservation. Discuss

- Government has proposed the implementation of tree plantation programme in the nation

- National Mission for a Green India has been proposed to increase forest and tree cover in the nation

- Appropriate measures are in place to ensure proper institutional mechanism for expeditious utilisation of amounts in lieu of forest land diverted for non forest purpose

- The National Mission for a Green India aims at enhancing the quality of forest cover and improving ecosystem services from 4.9 ha of predominantly forest lands including 1.5 ha of moderately dense forest cover, 3mha of open forest cover, 0.4 ha of degraded grass lands

- Eco-restoration/afforestation to increase forest cover and eco system services from 1.8 ha forest/non-forest lands

- This includes scrub lands, shifting cultivation areas, abandoned mining areas, ravine lands, sea buckthorn and mangrove areas

- Enhancing tree cover in 0.2 mha urban and peri urban areas including institutional lands

- Increasing forest cover and ecosystem services from agro forestry and social forestry on 3 Mha of non-forest lands

- Restoration of 0.1 ma of wetlands and eco system services thereof

- GoI has approved the Centrally sponsored scheme for total cost of INR 13,000 crore

- It has a plan outlay of INR 2000 crore for the 12th Five Year Plan with a spillover of 1 year in the 13th FYP with INR 400 crore from 13th Finance Commission Grants towards the share of the states

- Share of Centre:State is in the ratio 75:25 for all states except J&K and NE

- Here it will be a ratio of 90:10 in these two states

- Approval also indicates convergence with MGNREGA for INR 4000 crore, CAMPA for INR 6000 crore and National Afforestation Programme for INR 600 crore

- Budget allocation for the mission in the present financial year is INR 64 crore

- For creation of appropriate institutional mechanism for effective utilisation in a accountable manner, steps have been taken

- Union Government is also providing assistance to state governments and UTs

- Administration under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme National Afforestation Programme for regeneration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through the participation of people

- Scheme is being implemented through decentralised mechanism of State Forest Development Agency at State Level, Forest Development Agency at Forest Division Level and Joint Forest Management Committees at the level of villages

- Some of the proposals under the central government and concerned state governments and UTs have reported whole or part of the forest land indicated in proposals utilised by user agency without concerned approvals

- In certain cases, non compliance of conditions stipulated in approval accorded under the Central Government Forest Conservation Act 1980 has also been detected

- Central Government has provided in principle approval under the Forest Conservation Act 1980 for proposals based on facts of each case and penal measures

- Penal measures include realisation of penal Net Present Value by the user agency, funds for compensatory afforestation, initiation of proceedings in line with 3A and 3B of the Forest Conservation Act 1980

- Relevant sections of the Indian Forest Act 1927 and other relevant sections of Local Forest Acts

- State wise details of violations will be tabled in the House

Facts and Stats

- Current budget allocation under NAP is INR 100 crore

- Section-2 of the Forest Conservation Act 1980 inter alia provides that despite anything contained in any other law for the time being in the state, no state government/authority shall make, without prior approval of Central Government, any order directing that any forest land or portion may be used for non forest activities

- Use of forest land for industrial activities or any other non forest purpose requires prior approval of the Central Government under the Forest Conservation Act
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