(a) the percentage of wasteland targeted for plantation of trees during the current year, State-wise; and
(b) the percentage of waste land on which trees have been planted during the last three years, State-wise?
(a) the percentage of wasteland targeted for plantation of trees during the current year, State-wise; and
(b) the percentage of waste land on which trees have been planted during the last three years, State-wise?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) & (b) The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) is the concerned Department for wasteland development in the country. However, DoLR does not implement any scheme/programme exclusively meant for afforestation in wastelands but it has been implementing an area development programme namely Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) w.e.f. 26.02.2009 for development of rainfed and degraded areas. Earlier, three erstwhile area development programmes viz. DPAP, DDP and IWDP were operated. The major activities taken up under IWMP inter-alia includes afforestation, nursery raising, pasture development, ridge area treatment, drainage line treatments, soil and moisture conservation, rain water harvesting, horticulture and livelihoods for assetless persons etc. In 2015-16, IWMP has been amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). Under IWMP/PMKSY, a total of 8214 projects have been sanctioned for the treatment of an area of 39.07 million ha so far at a total amount of Rs.12451.86 crore released to the States. The area covered under afforestation and number of trees planted under IWMP/PMKSY is not separately collated and maintained by DoLR. The details of State-wise number of projects and area sanctioned to the States during the last three years is given in Annexure-I. No new project/area has been sanctioned under IWMP/PMKSY during the current year.
DoLR has brought out Wasteland Atlas of India, 2011-Change Analysis Based on Temporal Satellite Data of 2005-06 and 2008-09 in collaboration with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, according to which the extent of wastelands under 23 identified categories has shown a decline by 5240.78 square km. between 2005-06 & 2008-09 and stands at 467021.16 square km. The State-wise details of wastelands are given in Annexure-II.
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