7,168 hectares brought under eco-restoration, Centre tells Parl

Under the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), 7,168 hectares have been brought under eco-restoration, the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday.

The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover.

In response to Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu’s question whether the government had set any forest restoration target in Punjab under the National Mission for a Green India, Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said the implementation of GIM activities in Punjab were started in FY 2015-16.

“So far, a target of 7,768 ha has been taken up, out of which 7,168 ha has been brought under eco-restoration, which include 2175 ha during the last three years. In the state of Punjab, GIM activities are taken up across various categories, including moderately dense forests showing degradation, degraded open forests, scrublands and farmers’ lands, including current fallows,” Singh said.

The minister further said that to promote agroforestry in the state, a sub-scheme titled “Agroforestry through Crop Diversification (CDAF)” was being implemented under the Green Punjab Mission, a state scheme. By integrating agroforestry, Punjab farmers can diversify their land use, reduce reliance on water-intensive crops like paddy while conserving natural resources.

The Indian hot arid zone covers an area of 31.7 m ha. (12% of the country’s total geographical area) in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.