Shockingly, the audit also noted that the area under very dense and moderately dense forests has been persistently declining since 2009.
Exposing huge gaps in Maharashtra's forest management strategy, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pointed out how after an expenditure of over Rs6,881 crore in the last eight years, instead of increasing, the forested area has actually decreased by 22 sqkm. The revelation has debunked all official claims about increasing the green cover in the state.
Shockingly, the audit also noted that the area under very dense and moderately dense forests has been persistently declining since 2009. Maharashtra has a forest area of 61,579 sqkm, which is about 20.01% of its total geographical area of 3,07,713 sqkm. As per the Maharashtra Forest Policy 2008, the state was to bring 33% of the geographical area under forest cover, in accordance with the National Forest Policy 1988.
"A performance audit of the Maharashtra forest department for the 2010-15 period revealed that despite implementation of the State Forest Policy since 2008, the forest cover in the state over a period of eight years remained stagnant at 16.45%," said the CAG in a report on the economic sector for the period ending March 2015, which was tabled in the state legislature on Wednesday.
"The audit observed that despite implementation of the State Forest Policy, constitution of various committees and boards and spending nearly Rs6,881 crore on forest development during the last eight years, the forest cover in the state decreased by 22 sqkm – from 50,650 sqkm in 2007 to 50,628 sqkm in 2015," the report added.
The CAG noted that while the area under dense forests has been decreasing persistently since 2009, the area of open forests has increased. "Also, the percentage of geographical area under forest cover has remained stagnant at 16.45%," the audit said, adding that some of the reasons for the decline in the forest cover as per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2015 include diversion of forest areas for non-forest purposes and encroachments.
The audit also observed shortfalls and delays in release of funds for implementation of working plans and inordinate delays in preparations of these plans.
"Substantial land under Zudpi Jungle (degraded forests) and private forest land was not brought under the reserved or forest category," the report said, adding that the outlay for the forestry sector in Maharashtra was merely 1% of the total plan outlay, as against 2.5% recommended by the National Forest Commission in 2006. The apportionment of forest development tax was abysmally low to support any meaningful activity.
While observing that monitoring, evaluation and internal controls in the department were deficient, the audit noted that there were shortfalls in harvesting of bamboo coupes, leading to a loss of revenue. The forest area in the state includes reserved forests (49,546 sq km), protected forests (6,733 sq km) and unclassed forests of 5,300 sq km.
Delay in notification of mangroves
The CAG noted that as on December 2015, mangroves measuring 9,121 hectares were yet to be notified as protected forests. Delay in notification may lead to continuing destruction or denuding of mangroves and also make them susceptible to encroachments, as also noted by the Bombay High Court while pronouncing its judgment in October 2005.
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