1,778 hectares of degraded land restored under GIM in J&K since 2015-16: Centre

New Delhi, Aug 10: As many as 1,778 hectares of land have been brought under plantation and eco-restoration activities in Jammu and Kashmir under the Green India Mission (GIM) since 2015-16, the Union Government has informed the Lok Sabha.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stated this in a written reply to Lok Sabha regarding restoration of degraded forest land.
As per the reply, the Green India Mission, one of the nine Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), has been under implementation since 2015-16 with the objective of restoring degraded forest and non-forest landscapes through an integrated landscape approach.
The Ministry said that the GIM has brought 1,84,467 hectares under eco-restoration across 17 States and one Union Territory since 2015-16. Jammu and Kashmir accounts for 1,778 hectares under creation of plantation/eco-restoration activities.
The government further stated that plantation and maintenance activities under the Green India Mission are undertaken through local institutions, including Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), Village Forest Committees (VFCs) and other community-based organisations, as per approved Annual Plans of Operation.
Local communities, including JFMCs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), are also engaged wherever provided for in approved activities, particularly in plantation maintenance, nursery raising and allied livelihood activities.
Regarding monitoring, the Ministry said the plantations under the Green India Mission are monitored through a multi-tiered mechanism involving both Central and State-level systems.
The Mission promotes technology-enabled monitoring, including geo-tagging of plantation sites, GIS-based mapping, geo-tagged photographs and KML files. State Forest Departments also undertake periodic field inspections and third-party monitoring, with corrective measures such as gap filling and maintenance based on survival assessments.
The reply added that drone-based monitoring, wherever undertaken by States, may supplement field verification, while the Forest Survey of India (FSI) conducts biennial assessments of forest cover through remote sensing supported by ground verification.
The Ministry also stated that it is implementing the Nagar Van Yojana for development of 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatikas during 2020-21 to 2026-27 to enhance urban green cover and ecological benefits.
Under the Green India Mission, Rs 57.08 crore has been allocated during 2026-27 so far to seven States for approved activities, while funds under Nagar Van Yojana are released from the National Authority CAMPA based on approved proposals of States. (KNO)