Parliament Question: Restoration of Degraded Forest Land

OIH GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3491 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2026 Restoration of Degraded Forest Land 3491. SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM: SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE: DR. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) the details of total area of degraded forest land, in hectares, restored under the Green Indian Mission across various States in the country, State-wise including Maharashtra; (b) whether the rapid development of 'Nagar Vans' (Urban Forests) has led to significant improvement in green cover and air quality in the major cities of the State; (c) if so, the details of funds disbursed and utilized for these plantation during the year 2026-27; (d) the details of the involvement of local communities and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the maintenance of newly planted saplings; and (e) the details of steps taken by the Government to integrate geo-tagging and drone monitoring to ensure accurate tracking of the survival rate of plantation areas in the country, State-wise, particularly in the State of Maharashtra? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to (c): The Green India Mission (GIM), one of the nine Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), is being implemented since 2015-16 with the objective of restoring degraded forest and non-forest landscapes through an integrated landscape approach. GIM has brought 1,84,467 hectares under eco-restoration in 17 States and one Union Territory since 2015-16. State/UT-wise details are given in Annexure-I. The Ministry is also implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) for development of 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatikas during 2020-21 to 2026-27 to enhance urban green cover and ecological benefits. It is envisaged that the Nagar Vans significantly contribute towards green cover and created ecological assets with potential to improve air quality and micro-climate. Under GIM, Rs. 57.08 crore has been allocated during FY 2026-27 so far to seven States namely Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh for approved activities. Under NVY, funds are released from National Authority CAMPA based on approved proposals of States for plantation and related activities. (d): The implementation of plantation and maintenance activities under the Green India Mission is undertaken through local institutions, including Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), Village Forest Committees (VFCs) and other community-based organizations, as per the approved Annual Plan of Operation. Local communities including JFMCs, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) etc. are also engaged, wherever provided for in the approved activities, particularly for plantation maintenance, nursery raising and allied livelihood activities.(e) Monitoring of plantations under the Green India Mission follows a multi-tiered approach involving both Central and State mechanisms. The Mission promotes the use of technology-enabled monitoring systems, including geo-tagging of plantation sites, GIS-based mapping, geo-tagged photographs and .kml files. State Forest Departments undertake periodic field inspections and third- party monitoring, with corrective measures such as gap filling and maintenance based on survival assessments. Drone-based monitoring, wherever undertaken by the States, may further supplement field verification. Moreover, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) undertakes biennial assessment of forest cover using remote sensing supported by ground verification, including for the State of Maharashtra, and publishes the findings in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). *****Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3491 regarding ‘Restoration of Degraded Forest Land’ raised by Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram; Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke and Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge due for reply on 10.08.2026. The State-wise total area brought under restoration through GIM activities since 2015-16: Creation of Plantation / Sl. No. States Eco-restoration (Phy. In ha) 1 Andhra Pradesh 1,433 2 Arunachal Pradesh 5,314 3 Chhattisgarh 22,601 4 Haryana 3,755 5 Himachal Pradesh 1,299 6 Jammu & Kashmir 1,778 7 Karnataka 2,722 8 Kerala 14,290 9 Madhya Pradesh 32,831 10 Maharashtra 5,223 11 Manipur 17,488 12 Mizoram 19,643 13 Odisha 20,711 14 Punjab 7,168 15 Sikkim 6,567 16 Uttarakhand 14,836 17 West Bengal 2,606 18 Uttar Pradesh 4,202 Total 184467 *****