(a) Whether the Government has taken a resolve on World Environment Day to plant large number of trees in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the total number of trees proposed to be planted in the year 2019 and 2020;
(c) whether the Government proposes to plant medicinal and fruit bearing trees at various locations in the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise?
MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (d) A statement has been laid on the Table of the House.
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Statement referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 2 due for reply on 21.06.2019 by Shri Ajay Misra Teni regarding ‘Plantation of Trees’.
(a) The World Environment Day(WED) was celebrated this year with the theme of “Air Pollution”, to promote clean air. On this WED 2019 seedlings were planted and an advertisement was also released encouraging all to plant a tree.
(b) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has decided to make plantation a people’s movement through various programmes which will promote school nursery, urban forestry, planting trees on vacant lands, bunds on farm land etc. Tree Plantation/Afforestation activities are also taken up cross-sectorally by various Departments, NGOs, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc. under various Central and State Plan/Non Plan Schemes.State/Union Territory Governments also take up tree plantation activities on special occasions and celebrations including World Environment Day, Van Mahotsav etc.
Afforestation/Tree plantation targets in the country in respect of Area Covered under Public and Forest Lands and number of Seedlings Planted under Twenty Point Programme (TPP) is fixed by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF& CC) annually for States/UTs. The target of plantation for the year 2019-20 is 1.87 million ha and the details of State/UT wise targets are given in annexure.
(c) & (d) The Ministry has issued guidelines for including bamboo and medicinal plants in afforestation activities on degraded forest land and contiguous areas. Advisories have also been issued to State /UT Governments to plant local and indigenous species during plantations. TheNational Afforestation Programme (NAP) of MoEF&CC has the provision for inclusion of medicinal plants under various plantation models. Apart from NAP the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) of MoEF&CC also permits plantation of mixed indigenous species by the implementing states.
Besides, as per the information received from National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH, NMPB presently, is implementing a “Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants” throughout the country under which support is provided for in-situ /ex-situ conservation and resource augmentation of various species of medicinal plants. In addition, NMPB, Ministry of AYUSH is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) under which there is a component on “Medicinal Plants” which primarily aims at supporting cultivation of medicinal plants on farmer’s land.
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