Programmes and Schemes to Encourage Tree Plantation in Urban Areas

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has taken various initiatives through programmes and schemes that encourages tree plantation including urban areas in the country. The scheme, Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) has been launched during the year 2020, for creation of Nagar Vans in urban areas, which promotes urban forestry by involving local communities, NGOs, educational institutions, local bodies, etc.

Besides, the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), under which, in addition to other sub-missions, there is a specific sub-mission for enhancing tree cover in urban and peri-urban areas. Urban forestry is also a permissible activity under the provisions of Compensatory Fund Act, 2016 and the Rules made thereunder.  Forestry/tree plantation activities including urban forestry, being a multi-departmental, multi-agency activity, are taken up cross-sectorally under various programmes/funding sources of other ministries/ organizations and also through State Plan budgets.

The tree outside forest (ToF) refers to all trees growing outside recorded forest areas. The patches of 1 ha and above outside the recorded forest area and Tree Cover, both constitute the ToF. As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2015 published by Forest Survey of India (FSI), MoEFCC the Tree Cover is 92,572 sq. km. As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2021 the Tree Cover is 95,748 sq. km.  The Forest Survey of India in ISFR, 2021 have done mapping for Forest Cover in Major Mega Cities i.e. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. The total forest cover reported in these seven major mega cities is 509.72 sq. km. Nagar Van Yojana envisages creating a Nagar Van / Nagar Vatika in each City having Municipal Corporation/Municipal council/Municipality/Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for providing wholesome healthy living environment for the residents and thus contributing to growth of clean, green, healthy and sustainable cities. The salient features of Nagar Van Yojana are:

(i) Creating green space and aesthetic environment in an urban set up.

(ii) Creating awareness about plants and biodiversity and developing environment stewardship.

(iii) Facilitating in-situ conservation of important flora of the region.

(iv)Contributing to environmental improvement of cities by pollution mitigation, providing cleaner air, noise reduction, water harvesting and reduction of heat islands effect.

(v) Extending health benefits to residents of the city and

(vi) Helping cities become climate resilient.

 

Under NVY, so far, 385 projects have been sanctioned in the country, since inception of the scheme in 2020. The state-wise details of number of projects approved and area sanctioned including Maharashtra and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman-Diu and Chhattisgarh has been given in Annexure.

The details of funds released towards sanctioned projects in Maharashtra and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman-Diu and Chhattisgarh during the last two years and current is as under:

(Rs. In Lakhs)

Sl.

No.

State/UT

Fund Released in 2021-22

Fund Released in 2022-23

Fund Released in 2023-24

1

Chhattisgarh

830.77

0

0

2

Maharashtra

156.86

193.87

0

3

Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu*

No proposal has been received under Nagar Van Yojana

 

Annexure

State-wise, details of number of projects and total area sanctioned under Nagar Van Yojana (2020-21 to 2023-24)

Sl.No.

State/UT

Number of projects approved

Total Area approved (ha)

1

Andaman & Nicobar

1

21.15

2

Andhra Pradesh

13

502.95

3

Arunachal Pradesh

1

20

4

Assam

3

59

5

Bihar

6

113.02

6

Chandigarh

1

6.79

7

Chhattisgarh

7

294.63

8

Goa

1

50

9

Gujarat

10

178.5

10

Haryana

5

168.54

11

Himachal Pradesh

6

172.07

12

Jammu & Kashmir

17

218.6

13

Jharkhand

33

771.67

14

Karnataka

7

239.71

15

Kerala

25

379.31

16

Madhya Pradesh

27

942.14

17

Maharashtra

9

184.14

18

Manipur

1

50

19

Meghalaya

2

86.7

20

Mizoram

16

730.8

21

Nagaland

11

188.3

22

Odisha

40

720.2875

23

Punjab

16

186.9

24

Rajasthan

14

485.9

25

Sikkim

5

139.63

26

Tamil Nadu

10

435

27

Telangana

47

472.19

28

Tripura

4

124.5

29

Uttar Pradesh

26

722

30

Uttarakhand

6

129.27

31

West Bengal

15

117.483

32

Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu*

0

0

 

Total

385

8911.1805

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