Recently the environment ministry was pulled up for incompetency to implement the decade-old Rs. 3044 crore National Afforestation Programme (NAP). This programme was launched in 2002 with an aim to increase India’s forest cover. However, it failed in its purpose and the tree cover decreased by 367 square kilometres in a span of two years from 2009. A day later on the 21st of February, 2014, the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) approved a Rs. 46,000 crore scheme to improve and increase India’s diminishing forest cover.
This Green India Mission is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The government will spend this amount to improve and gradually increase India’s diminishing forest cover in years to come. In the first phase, under the 12th four year plan, the government will release Rs. 13000 crore. This projected will be effectively implemented by the state governments and monitored at the central level.
This mission has a holistic approach and does not merely aim at plantations to meet the carbon sequestration targets. It aims at improving the country’s biodiversity and ecosystem and also enhances the livelihood of local people. It aims to:
- Improve forest cover on 5 million hectares of land
- Increase forest cover on another 5 million hectares of land
- Improve livelihood of 3 million household
- Improve forest based livelihood income
- Improve annual carbon dioxide sequestration
- Respond to changes of weather in India by adaptation and mitigation measure