CAG finds 98% shortfall in Green India Mission forest cover targets, red-flags multiple lapses

The
Compt olle
a d
Audito
Ge e al
aised
co ce s
about
the
i adequacies
withi
the
G ee
I dia
Missio
p og am,
oti g
that
the
goal
of
i c easi g
fo est
cove
was
fa
f om
ealized
ove
a
decade.
The
audit
poi ted
to
sig ifica t
issues
i
pla i g
a d
fi a cial
ove sight,
which
seve ely
u de mi ed
the
missio ‘s
objectives.
Key
vul e able
a eas
we e
eglected
du i g
affo estatio ,
dimi ishi g
effo ts
to
combat
climate
cha ge.

NEW
DELHI:
Red-flaggi g
lapses
i
the
cou t y’s
o goi g
p og amme
to
i c ease
a d
imp ove
g ee
cove ,
the
Compt olle
a d
Audito
Ge e al
of
I dia
(CAG)
has
poi ted
out
o -achieveme t
of
fo est
cove
ta gets,
oti g
that
the
obse ved
i c ease
i
fo est
cove
fell
sho t
by
ea ly
98%
du i g
10
yea s
of
impleme tatio
(2015-16
to
2024-25)
of
the
G ee
I dia
Missio
(GIM).Releasi g
the
pe fo ma ce
audit
epo t
o
the
Missio ,
CAG
highlighted
the
w o g
choice
of
la dscape
fo
pla ti g
t ees,
abse ce
of
co ve ge ce
of
va ious
schemes
to
i c ease
g ee
cove ,
fi a cial
misma ageme t,
imp ope
pla i g,
lack
of
coo di atio
a d
deficie t
mo ito i g
behi d
o -achieveme t
of
the
GIM’s
goals.The
b oad
objectives
u de
the
Missio
we e
to
i c ease
fo est/t ee
cove ,
imp ove
the
quality
of
fo est/ o -fo est
la ds,
imp ove
ecosystem
se vices,
i cludi g
biodive sity,
hyd ological
se vices
a d
ca bo
sequest atio
because
of
fo est
la d/ o -fo est
la d,
a d
to
i c ease
fo est-based
livelihood
i come
of
households
livi g
i
a d
a ou d
fo ests.U de li i g
its
key
audit
fi di gs,
the
CAG
i
its
epo t
tabled
i
Pa liame t
o
Wed esday
said,
“As
agai st
the
ta get
of
1.4
millio
hecta es
(mha),
imp oveme t
of
fo est
cove
quality
was
obse ved
i
o ly
0.11
mha
( ea ly
92%
sho tfall).
Simila ly,
a
i c ease
i
fo est
cove
was
obse ved
i
o ly
0.03
mha
as
agai st
the
ta get
of
1.4
mha
( ea ly
98%
sho tfall).”

It
also
oted
that
despite
vul e ability
bei g
a
key
c ite io ,
la dscapes
with
low
to
mode ate
p io ity
we e
selected
ove
those
mo e
vul e able
to
climate
cha ge
fo
affo estatio
u de
the
Missio .

The
pe fo ma ce
audit
exami ed
the
pla i g,
impleme tatio
a d
mo ito i g
of
the
GIM
i te ve tio s
i
16
states
a d
UTs
fo
which
physical
a d
fi a cial
ta gets
we e
app oved
by
the
e vi o me t
mi ist y
du i g
the
pe iod
2015-16
to
2024-25.Poi ti g
out
deficie t
mo ito i g,
the
CAG
oted
that
14
states
eve
failed
to
p ovide
equi ed
public
web
li ks
fo
t a spa e cy.
It
flagged
that
audit
evaluatio s
evealed
i flated
data
a d
ove stated
achieveme ts,
a d
GIS
a alysis
showed
that
70%
of
sampled
sites
had
o
oticeable
cha ges
att ibutable
to
GIM.