Chandigarh, August 7
Years have come and gone, but the Punjab forest department’s targeted increase in tree cover remains, curiously, unchanged. In its new forest policy, the department has conveniently repeated the tree growth target it had set itself 10 years ago.

In 1997, the forest department, under the then Akali regime, brought the multi-crore Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) project for afforestation. The target then was to increase the tree cover from 5.76 per cent in 1997 to 15 per cent in 2005-a 9.24 per cent increase.

What was achieved in eight years, however, was a meagre 5.7 per cent of the stipulated target, raising questions on where the chunk of money went. The Forest Survey of India report in 2005 put Punjab’s tree cover at 6.3 per cent-only 0.54 per cent growth as against the targeted 9.24.

Ten years after the 400-crore JBIC project, termed “low-risk” in the report prepared by Punjab government, failed, the forest department has announced a new target. Only it has forgotten to revise it, except in terms of time needed to achieve it.

Last time, the department wanted eight years to achieve 9.22 per cent growth in tree cover; this time it wants 10 years to achieve 8.7 per cent growth. The maiden state forest policy proclaims that the Punjab government is “ready to enhance the tree cover from 6.3 per cent to 15 per cent by 2017.” Ten years ago, the stated objective of the JBIC project was, “Increase in tree cover from 5.76 to 15 per cent by 2005.” Both target statements read the same, although Punjab forest minister Tikshan Sood, chooses to differ.

“The JBIC project target was unachievable and unrealistic. Moreover, the JBIC project did not allow scope for agro-forestry. We are sure of achieving our new target”, said the minister, unaware of the JBIC project’s main objective (as stated in the JBIC project report in possession of The Tribune): “To increase tree cover primarily through farm and agro-forestry.”

As regards achievability of the new target, here are some facts-Punjab’s tree cover increased only by 0.54 per cent between 1997 and 2005, even when the government spent over 400 crore (about Rs 24,975 per hectare) on plantation and its maintenance. Now it says it will achieve the 15 per cent target in 10 years.

Meanwhile, sources in the forest department say that the JBIC project results did not show because plantations under the project were too immature in 2005 to be captured by the satellites Forest Survey of India used to determine the tree cover.

But environmentalists ask, “What about fast-growing varieties like poplar, drek and jamun that were grown under JBIC and that grow enough in five years to show up in satellites?” The failure of the JBIC project is now under the Punjab vigilance bureau scanner. The bureau has already begun cracking down on those suspected to have indulged in massive corruption during the project tenure.