Arun Singh
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 1: Violating the guidelines of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for compensatory afforestation, the Social Forestry Department has gone afforestation over and above the targeted forest area thereby totally deviating from the main letter and spirit of the guidelines which enshrine to use equivalent area for non forest land.
Sources told Early Times that as per guidelines as far as possible, the non-forest land for Compensatory Afforestation has to be identified contiguous to or in proximity of un-demarcated or demarcated forest to enable the state Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to effectively manage the newly planted area and to minimize adverse impact on the micro-ecology of the area," they added.
Ironically, on the contrary to the guidelines, approximately 19 units of the Social Forestry Department including Doda, Kargil, Lidder, Budgam, Rajouri, Ramnaga, Shopian, Sindh, Agrostology, NH1 Batote, Kulgam, Social Forestry Kathua, ETF, Urban Forestry Jammu, Tangmarg, Social Forestry Srinagar, Social Forestry Anantnag, Social Forestry Rajouri where the area treated was over and above the targeted forest area ranging from 24 hectares to 375 hectares, they further said.
They further informed that in other Territorial Divisions/ units including Anantnag, Bandhpora, Billawar, JV Baramulla, Jammu, Kamraj, Kehmil, Leh, Mahore, Marwah, Nowshera, Poonch, Ramban, Reasi, Research Srinagar, Urban Forestry Srinagar, Social Forestry Udhampur, Bhaderwah, Batote, Kathua, Kishtwar, Udhampur the treated area was below the targeted area ranging from five hectares to 3006 hectares. This had potential of adverse impact on the micro-ecology of the area.
Pertinently, Ministry of Environment and Forests, GoI in its guidelines (September 2003, stipulated that Net Present Value, CA and other charges be charged in all those cases which were granted approval of diverting forest land for non-forest purposes in principle after 30 October 2002 at a rate of Rs 5.80 lakh to Rs 9.20 lakh per hectare and revised April 2008 from Rs 4.38 lakh to Rs 10.43 lakh per hectare, depending upon the quality and density of the forest before final approval for transfer of forest land. The money so realized was to be utilized on Compensatory Afforestation.
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