To enhance forest cover, govt to rope in private sector
The Forest Department will launch the Rajiv Gandhi Green Adoption Yojana to rope in private sector to undertake plantations on barren lands through corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The department has notified the scheme with the objective of enhancing green cover and provide employment opportunities in rural areas. Currently, the legally classified forests cover a large area of 37,033 sq km out of 55,673 sq km, but the actual forest cover stands at a lower 27.12 per cent in the state.
Degraded patches, often resulting from historical factors, grazing pressure and environmental stresses, require focused efforts for restoration. The scheme will encourage private players to adopt identified degraded forest sites by eligible private entities for funding comprehensive afforestation and ecological restoration activities under their CSR programmes.
“The MoU for the adoption of a specific site shall be valid for a period of five years from the date of signing. This period is intended to cover the critical phase of establishment and initial growth requiring intensive maintenance and protection. The MoU may be extended by mutual written agreement. A robust monitoring and evaluation framework will be put into place to ensure the scheme’s success and transparency,” said Kamlesh Pant, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest).
The legal ownership, ultimate command, and control of all adopted forest lands will remain vested exclusively with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. The adoption will be based on a time bound memorandum of understanding (MoU) between HPFD and the selected adopting entity, outlining the specific terms, conditions, scope of work, financial commitment and duration of the adoption.
With limited employment generating avenues, the scheme has been formulated to generate local employment and livelihood opportunities through community involvement in plantation and maintenance activities. Forest officials said the scheme aimed to significantly increase the actual forest cover in Himachal, with focus on ecologically sensitive areas such as roadsides.
Those who will be eligible for forest adoption include both private sector companies, public sector undertakings, registered trusts or societies undertaking CSR activities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with a proven track record in environmental conservation and forestry projects and other eligible entities recognised under the Companies Act, 2013, for undertaking CSR activities.
The activities that will have to be undertaken by the agency adopting the scheme would include fencing, soil and moisture conservation measures, undertaking plantation, maintenance, creating inspection paths and undertaking fire control measures.
Forest officials said the state’s forest resources were indispensable for ecological balance, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and supporting the livelihoods of local communities, as well as vital economic sectors like hydropower, tourism, and horticulture.
Himachal Tribune