Context

India is lagging behind in the targets to increase the number and quality of tree- and forest-cover plantations set in the Green India Mission, according to data accessed via the Right To Information Act.

The numbers

• From 2015-16 to 2021-22, the Centre – based on submissions from 17 States – had approved a target of increasing tree/forest cover by 53,377 hectares and improving the quality of degraded forest by 1,66,656 ha. 
• As per the Environment Ministry tree/forest cover had increased by 26,287 hectares and forest quality improved in only 1,02,096 hectares as of December 31, 2022.
• For executing these projects, the Centre had allocated ?681 crore but only ?525 crore had been utilised.
• States with significant shortfall in tree cover include 
  • Andhra Pradesh, with a target of 186 ha but having only achieved 75 ha
  • Uttarakhand with a target of 6,446 ha but only 1,505 ha achieved
  • Madhya Pradesh targeting 5,858 ha but delivering 1,882 ha
  • Kerala committing 1,686 ha but furnishing 616 ha
  • Punjab, unusually committed to 629 ha but having delivered 1,082 ha

India’s Target to increase forest cover

• National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. 
• It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change. 
• The target under the Mission is 10 million hectares (Mha) on forest and non-forest lands for increasing the forest/tree cover and to improve the quality of existing forest.

Need to improve tree cover

• Improving tree cover is critical to sequester carbon and bolster India’s carbon stocks as part of its international commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.