The Lok Sabha introduced the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 on May 8, 2015. While the Rajya Sabha Standing Committee is yet to pass the same, conservationists say that the Bill in its present form will not only foster corruption in the forestry sector but also lead to ecological disaster.
When a development project seeks land inside a Reserved Forest or a Protected Area (PA), certain levies are imposed on the project proponent. This money is to be utilized in ‘afforestation' or tree planting projects elsewhere, ostensibly to compensate for the loss of forest. At first, this provision may be seen as a step towards a ‘Greener' India, but loopholes in the planning, implementation and execution of these ‘compensatory afforestation' projects leaves entire ecosystems at stake.
With failure rates trumping the success rates four fold, the myopic division of large chunks of forest cover into smaller and more vulnerable patches poses a serious threat to long-term biodiversity conservation. The ‘compensatory' plantations, often of non-native species, simply do not have the same ecological value of the felled habitats that they are meant to replace. Sadly, instead of addressing this critical issue, successive governments have been pursuing the flawed idea of raising artificial plantations.
According to the Bill, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), already entrusted with ` 36,000 crores, will now have an additional annual banking of ` 6,000 crores. Yet, analysis show that most non-forested areas are not available for forestation in the first place and thus, any possibility of balancing out the damage does not arise. Instead, the funds should be utilized in enhancing the existing, deteriorating ecosystems of the country. Creating wildlife corridors, regenerating degraded forests, and introducing good science practices in conservation are a few suggestions.
If the Bill is recast on the basis of genuine preservation, it can create the foundation for a far-sighted, beneficial strategy to protect nature without digging pits, manufacturing polythene bags for raising saplings, and planting trees that can never become forests.
Conservation India is running a campaign demanding that the Compensatory Afforestation Bill 2015 be recast. You can support their petition here because, as they write, “Compensatory afforestation' is nothing but a fig leaf to cover up the diversion of natural habitats in the name of development. It is a sad irony that the money spent and the plantations raised are then touted as ‘achievements' towards a ‘Green India'."
Sources: The Hindu
