Why in News ?
Saplings Plant And Compensatory Afforestation done in lieu of forest diversion for development of projects in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district.
- A study that looks at compensatory afforestation found that only 10 per cent of saplings said to be planted were actually found on the site.
About the Study
- The study, conducted between 2012 and 2016, has been carried out by Himdhara Environment Research and Action
- Only 10 per cent of saplings said to be planted were actually found on the site.
- The study also found that the survival rate of saplings in some plots was as low as 3.6 per cent.
- The total area demarcated for compensatory afforestation was 1,930 ha in lieu of 984 ha of forest land diverted for non-forest activities, including roads, hydro-projects, transmission lines etc.
- Between 2002 and 2014, of the Rs 162.82 crore collected under Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) plan funds of Kinnaur’s projects, only 36 per cent had been spent till March 31, 2014, says the study.
- CAT plan funds are budgeted as mitigation measures for hydroelectric power projects.
- According to Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) rules, for every hectare of forest land diverted, double the area of ‘degraded’ lands are used as sites for ‘compensatory afforestation’.
- Issues for Afforestation
- The forest department is unable to fulfil the target is because there’s simply no land available for this compensatory afforestation.
- A large part of Kinnaur is rocky and a cold desert where nothing grows.
- Around 10 per cent of the district is already forests and the rest is either used for agriculture or are grasslands.
- These grasslands are used by the villagers for grazing cattle, and the grass is also stored and used as fodder for the winter months.
- Lack of land for afforestation means that once a forest has been felled, it is often lost permanently.
Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority
- Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) are meant to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses.
- Objective of National CAMPA Advisory Council established as per orders of Supreme Court with the following mandate:.
- Lay down broad guidelines for State CAMPA
- Facilitate scientific, technological and other assistance that may be required by State CAMPA
- Make recommendations to State CAMPA based on a review of their plans and programmes.
- Provide a mechanism to State CAMPA to resolve issues of an inter-state or Centre-State character.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act
- Legislation that seeks to provide an appropriate institutional mechanism, both at the Centre and in each State and Union Territory, to ensure expeditious utilization in efficient and transparent manner of amounts released in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose which would mitigate impact of diversion of such forest land.
- Money paid by developers who have razed forest land for their construction projects, and the idea is that such land destroyed needs to be made good by regenerating forest elsewhere on non-forest land.
- The legislation established the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF)
Source : Indian Express
Topic
GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Current Affairs Compilation : 5 October 2020