Green India Mission

According to a Parliamentary committee report ‘Performance of the National Action Plan on Climate Change’, Green India Mission that is aimed at “protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s diminishing forest cover and responding to climate change”, is grossly underfunded.

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Highlights of the Report

• During 2017-18, Rs 47.8 crore has been allocated for the scheme which is grossly insufficient as the committed liability for 2015-16 and 2016-17 is Rs 89.53 crore which is much more than the budget allocated.
• However, the scheme is proposed for 10 years with an outlay of Rs 60,000 crore.
• The panel raises concerns about the targets set by GIM on India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• The committee pointed out that the afforestation done under the mission was only aimed at increasing tree count without considering the soil and weather conditions.
• Though plantation activity is aimed at increasing green cover, they cannot replace actual forest cover. Forest has plants and trees of numerous varieties and sizes and shapes. Forests grow naturally and according to climate conditions existing in the area.

What is Green India Mission?

• The National Mission for Green India (GIM) is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
• It aims at protecting; restoring and enhancing India’s diminishing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.
• This mission has adopted an integrated cross-sectoral approach as it has been implemented on both public as well as private lands with a key role of the local communities in planning, decision making, implementation and monitoring.

What are the main objectives?

• To increase forest/tree cover to the extent of 5 million hectares (mha) and improve quality of forest/tree cover on another 5 mha of forest/non-forest lands;
• To improve/enhance eco-system services like carbon sequestration and storage (in forests and other ecosystems), hydrological services and biodiversity; along with provisioning services like fuel, fodder, and timber and non-timber forest produces (NTFPs); and
• To increase forest based livelihood income of about 3 million households.
  

  National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) Government is implementing the NAPCC with a view to enhance the ecological sustainability of India’s development path and address climate change. NAPCC comprises, inter alia, of eight National Missions in specific areas of Solar Energy, Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and Strategic knowledge for Climate Change with the approved funding under sectoral outlays.