MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) & (b): As per the information supplied by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, there is no conclusive evidence to attribute all observed weather and climate variability to the increased concentrations of Green House Gases (GHGs) and associated global warming. However, gradual increasing trend in respect of surface temperature (maximum and minimum) across the globe is found to be in line with the rise of GHGs over the recent decades. Daily mean temperature over the country is found to be increasing more or less at the same rate as the global mean (0.63o C since 1901). Spatial pattern of trends in the mean annual temperature shows significant positive (increasing) trend over most parts of the country except over parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Bihar, where significant negative (decreasing) trends were observed.
Extreme rainfall events that occured at some isolated places (viz. heavy rainfall over Mumbai ,Rajasthan, Uttrakahand and Kashmir etc.) are highly localized and are part of the natural variability of the Indian monsoon system. Although, some recent studies hint at an increasing frequency and intensity of extremes in rainfall during the past 40-50 years, their attribution to global warming is yet to be established.
(c) & (d): For development/expansion of forest area in the country, afforestation programmes have been taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Green India Mission (GIM), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) which from 2015-16 has been amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component of the “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)”. Further, under National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), different State Plan/ Non-Plan Schemes including Externally Aided Projects have been taken up. Under NAP, an amount of Rs. 3545 crore has been invested to treat an area of 20.99 lakh hectare till 2014-2015.
The Green India Mission aims at increasing the forest/ tree cover by 5 million hectare as well as, increasing the quality of the existing forest cover in another 5 million hectare. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released Rs.49.94 Crores and 12.65 crores to the States in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 respectively for preparatory activities for implementation of Green India Mission. The activities undertaken by the State Governments under preparatory phase include institutional strengthening, training, identification of landscapes and preparation of Perspective Plan for implementation of Green India Mission.
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