(a) whether the Government proposes to make the rivers, nallahs, etc. green by planting trees on both side embankments of the rivers, nallahs etc.;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
(a) whether the Government proposes to make the rivers, nallahs, etc. green by planting trees on both side embankments of the rivers, nallahs etc.;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) to (c) The National Forest Policy (NFP), 1988, encourages planting of trees on different types of lands including lands alongside rivers, and streams and canals.
To increase and improve the forest and tree cover in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has taken several initiatives. These include Centrally Sponsored Schemes, such as National Afforestation Programme, National Mission for Green India and Development of Wildlife Habitats. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018 also contain provisions for taking up assisted natural regeneration, artificial regeneration and silvicultural operations in forest, which contribute to increase in forest cover. Afforestation and tree planting activities, including in non-forest areas, are also taken up under various programme/funding sources of other Ministries of Government of India such as, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and under the schemes/plans of States and Union Territories and also by corporate bodies, public institutions, civil society/NGOs public sector undertakings, etc.
The Ministry of Jal Shakti, National Mission of Clean Ganga (NMCG) is implementing the Namami Gange Programme that includes plantation along the banks of river Ganga and its tributaries in five states, namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Plantation of 26,764 ha has been undertaken between the period 2016 and 2020 so far under the programme and NMCG has provided Rs. 337.22 crore for the same.
In addition, MoEF&CC has assigned a technical study to ICFRE to assess the need of interventions and to suggest plantation models, measures to reduce soil erosion, improve quality of forests, enhance soil moisture regime, to augment continuous supply of water to the streams, etc. along the river landscape of 13 major Indian rivers and prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for forestry mediation for rejuvenation of the river basins. The study includes Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlej, Luni, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery rivers.
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