It has announced for the first time a package of Rs500 crore to regenerate 42% of forest cover around the country.
The government has at last showed its determination to stop the decline of forests. It has announced for the first time a package of Rs500 crore to regenerate 42% of forest cover around the country.
According to the environment and forest ministry, work will be taken up in the worst-hit states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Uttarakhand. The government has estimated that it would require between Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 to regenerate one hectare of land.
“It is for the state governments to make plans for restoration of forest cover and they will get money directly sent to them. We will just issue directives to get the job done. We are trying to devise a mechanism so that states are made accountable for the money they take from the Rs500 crore,” said Jairam Ramesh, the minister for environment and forests.
According to the minister, governments in the past 20 years had been on an unplanned afforestation spree — planting trees from a single species — which has not helped. “It is important that we do not plant just one species. It should be done in accordance with the already existing forest cover,” Ramesh said.
The minister said all other governments had written odes to the forest, but not helped it in any way. “This is the first time that money has been sanctioned by the government to revive forest cover. Earlier it was all poetry,” added Ramesh.
In addition to the sanctioned money, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat have also proposed to pool in Rs1,005 crore in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and use the services of villagers for the afforestation.
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