New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) India untertook plantations over 93.7 lakh hectares of land in the last five years under various schemes, with Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Gujarat recording the highest plantation areas, the Centre said on Thursday.
Responding to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said the government is currently carrying out afforestation and tree plantation under the overarching theme of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign launched on June 5, 2024.
The initiative aims to increase the country’s green cover through voluntary planting of trees involving a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach.
Singh said afforestation is being implemented through the existing schemes such as the National Mission for Green India, Nagar Van Yojana, Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitat and Tangible Benefits (MISHTI), and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), along with specific state-funded programmes.
“There is no new scheme on the anvil,” Singh said.
According to official data, Uttar Pradesh led the country by conducting plantations over 23.49 lakh hectares from 2020-21 to 2024-25, followed by Telangana with 15.50 lakh hectares and Gujarat with 11.38 lakh hectares.
The other major contributors included Odisha (5.03 lakh hectares), Andhra Pradesh (5.86 lakh hectares), Rajasthan (3.78 lakh hectares) and Madhya Pradesh (4.05 lakh hectares).
The total plantation area across all states and UTs stood at 93.77 lakh hectares during the period.
Singh said the survival rate of the planted trees is “dynamic” and depends on factors such as soil quality, climatic conditions, water availability, grazing, fire, pest attacks and post-plantation care.
Regular assessments are carried out by the state forest departments, with corrective maintenance measures taken when necessary.
A comparison of forest and tree cover between the India State of Forest Reports 2019 and 2023 shows an increase of 20,080.95 sq km in the country, he said.
On whether any mandatory rule is being considered for tree plantation during building construction approvals, Singh said the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, and its amendments already mandate tree plantation for certain categories of projects.
The terms of reference for EIA study require a greenbelt and landscaping plan, while environmental clearances include binding conditions for greenbelt development in addition to compensatory planting for any trees removed, he said. The ministry, along with states and UTs, also encourages voluntary plantations and provides necessary support wherever applicable.
The minister said tree plantation, including those carried out on special occasions, is monitored through a multi-tiered mechanism involving both state and Central agencies.
States and UTs conduct physical verification and submit geo-tagged photographs and .kml files of the plantation sites to the ministry. PTI GVS ARI
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