MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a) No, Sir. Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, a subordinate organization under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has been carrying out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially. The findings of the assessment are published in India State of Forest Report. The latest report in the series is India State of Forest Report 2015. As per this report, the total forest cover of the country is 7, 01,673 square kilometers which is 21.34% of the total geographical area of the country. There is a net increase of 3775 square kilometers in the forest cover of the country as compared with India State of Forest Report-2013.
(b) to (d) Afforestation Programme is 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)”, National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). In addition different States/UTs Government also undertake steps for greening and restoration of degraded lands under various Plan/Non-Plan Schemes.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change has two major Centrally Sponsored schemes (CSSs) namely National Afforestation Programme (NAP) Scheme and the Green India Mission (GIM) for afforestation and eco-restoration of degraded forests and adjoining landscapes. These Schemes are implemented in participatory mode under Joint Forest Management approach. GIM envisages development of a cadre of community foresters in villages to provide support in community-based forest conservation, community livelihood enhancement and monitoring etc. Under NAP, an amount of Rs. 625.04 crore has been released to the States to treat an area of around about 192918 hectare during the last three years including current year (2013-14 to 2016-17). The state-wise details of funds released is given in Annexure-I. During the financial year 2015-16, an amount of Rs. 70.25 crore was allocated as Grants-in-aid under Green India Mission while for the financial year 2016-17 the Grants-in-aid allocation is Rs. 43.25 crore. The state-wise details of funds released under Green India Mission for the financial year 2015-16 and the current financial year are given in Annexure-II.
The forest and tree cover of the country is monitored by FSI using remote sensing technology (IRS Resources at 2 Linear Imaginary Self Scanning Sensor (LISS III) on a biennial basis. Further, FSI, Dehradun is implementing National Forestry Information System (NFIS) on pilot basis in 14 districts which deals with monitoring the implementation of various country-wide afforestation programmes/schemes. There is no dedicated satellite for forest cover mapping.
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