4.11.8 Field demonstration programmes have been conducted in different areas. Projects on eco-regeneration of Pushkar Lake Valley (Rajasthan), Auroville (Tamil Nadu), Shivalik Foothills (Punjab), Tumkur (Karnataka), Gopeshwar in Chamoli (UP) and Cherapunjee (Meghalaya) were supported.
4.11.9 The programme included schemes on Environmental Education and Training, Seminars/workshops, Pitambar Pant Fellowship, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and Environmental Information. A new scheme on grants- in-aid to professional societies has been introduced in the Seventh Plan.
4.11.10 A national environmental awareness campaign initiated in 1986 was continued. It has covered a wide spectrum of the population through different media, and involving more than 200 non-governmental organisations. Financial assistance has been provided to various institutions, universities and non- governmental organisations for conducting seminars and workshops. The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) has also promoted environmental awareness in the public, particularly among the school children, by organising exhibitions, educational programmes, out-door nature study tours, film shows and lectures. A new gallery on conservation has been set up in NMNH which participated in the Festivals of India in USSR and Japan. The work for setting up a regional museum at Mysore is in progress. A new annual award "Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar" has been instituted. An environmental information system for collection, storage, retrieval and dissemination of scientific and technical information is in operation in ten centres on different areas of environment. Paryavaran Abstract, a quarterly journal of Research Abstracts, is being published.
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4.11.11 Central assistance has been extended to 19 States and 4 Union Territories to strengthen their technical set up. Assistance has been provided to 16 State Pollution Control Boards for strengthening their field set up. A management system to handle different aspects of safety and ecological balance has also been evolved.
4.11.12 A comprehensive Environment (Protection) Act came into being in 1986 to remedy the lacunae noticed in the earlier laws- and to serve as a single legislation on the subject. A Dumber of Central and State executive authorities have been delegated powers under the Act. Twenty State Governments have been delegated powers vested with the Central Government under the section 5 of the Act for the issue of direction to any person, officer or authority for purposes of implementation of the provisions of the Act. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 were amended to bring their provisions at par with those of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and to give more powers to the implementing agencies.
Ganga Action Plan 4.12.1 The Government of India had in February, 1985 set up the Central Ganga Authority with the Prime Minister as Chairman to oversee the implementation of the Ganga Action Plan in view of the magnitude of pollution of river Ganga. The objective of the Ganga Action Plan is to intercept, divert and treat the sewage flowing into the river with a view to improve the water quality and to compel the industries discharging their effluents into the river to conform to prescribed standards. Schemes of low cost sanitation, river front development and construction of electric crematoria are a part of the Action Plan. Two hundred and sixty one schemes spread over Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs.256 crores. As many as 147 schemes were completed during the Seventh Plan. An independent evaluation of Ganga Action Plan - Phase I has been sought from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. A monitoring committee of Ganga Action under the Chairmanship of Member, Planning Commission has been operational during the Seventh five year Plan.
Forest and Wild Life Policy 4.13.1 A "National Forest Policy 1988" was formulated in December 1988 with the principal aim of ensuring environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 was amended in 1988 to facilitiate stricter implementation and to plug certain loopholes. The rate of diversion of forest land was brought down to about 0.017 million ha. per year from 0.15 million ha. between 1951-52 and 1979-80. The loss of actual forest cover as per the interpretation of Landsat imagery made by the Forest Survey of India during 1987 and 1989 is indicated in table 4.2.
4.13.2 A modern Forest Fire Control Project, assisted by UNDP was implemented in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh with the objective of devising, testing and demonstrating the principles and techniques of prevention, detection and suppression of forest fires. A scheme on Development of Infrastructure for the Protection of Forests from Biotic Interference is under implementation in various States with a view to preserving and protecting the natural forest wealth and developing adequate infrastructure facilities.
4.13.3 Forest research, education and training have been reorganised to make them more relevant to the, present requirements. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education has been constituted in order to provide impetus and thrust to research activities and education. Five new research institutes viz. Institute of Wood Sciences and Technology, Bangalore; Institute of Deciduous Forests, Jabalpur; Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore; Institute of Arid Zone Research, Jodhpur and Institute of Rain and Moist Deciduous Forest Research, Jorhat have been set up while retaining the prime role of the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. Each Institute carries out national level research on one or more facets of forestry and also takes care of the regional needs.
4.13.4 The Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) has also been established at Dehra Dun for the training of Forest Service probationers. A graduate course in the science of forestry has been introduced in 14 State Agricultural Universities. Around 250-300 graduates benefit from the programme every year. The new com-
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plex of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) at Bhopal was inaugurated in June, 1988, as an apex research institute in forest management in the country. The Forest Survey of India has been reorganised. It has completed the first stage of the Forest Report including the vegetation maps.
4.13.5 In view of the symbiotic relationship between the tribals and the forest, efforts have been made to associate tribals and other people living in and around forests in general for the protection and development of forests. A centrally sponsored scheme for plantation of minor forest produce including medicinal plants is currently in operation.
4.13.6 Implementation of the 10-point National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) has been started. The Wildlife Institute of India has published a comprehensive report incorporating a workable biogeographic classification system. It makes recommendations for a representative network of protected areas based on this classification to bring about overall improvement in protection and conservation of wildlife. Thirty National Parks and 75 Sanctuaries are being provided financial assistance by the Central Government. The number of tiger reserves rose from 15 to 18 in the Seventh Plan. These cover an area of 28,017 sq. kms. located in 13 States.
Afforestation Programme 4.14.1 In the Seventh Plan there was considerable increase in the total area brought under afforestation programme. Block plantations, strip plantations and farm forestry were carried out. Plan funds were made available through Forest Departments in the States. These were further supplemented in 15 States with new projects which received external assistance. While the total afforestation during the Sixth Plan period was only 4.65 million ha, the coverage in the Seventh Plan, was 8.87 million ha.
4.14.2 The progress of afforestation over the past Plan periods is indicated in Table 4.3. To bring about qualitative changes in this programme, a National Wastelands Development Board (NWDB) was set up in June 1985, with the principal aim of reclaiming wastelands through a massive programme of afforestation with people's participation.
4.14.3 An independent evaluation of Rural Fuelwood Plantation (RFP) scheme was carried out by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) at the behest of National Wastelands Development Board (NWDB). The study has revealed certain deficiencies in the scheme namely, low survival of plantation (between 40 to 50 per cent) and poor health of the surviving plants; inadequate consolidation of effort and discontinuity; poor maintenance and after care of plantations; predominance of nonfuel species in most States; ambitious targets and bad advance planning leading to poor choice of planting material and lack of people's involvement.
4.14.4 A number of programmes of afforestation were taken up to secure people's participation. Under this scheme, priority was given to
i) establishment of decentralised nurseries and school nurseries;
ii) block plantation specially on community land and lands of SC/ST and people living below the poverty line;
iii) pasture development through people's institutions and involvement; and
iv) assistance in the implementation of the Tree Patta Schemes.
4.14.5 The scheme of decentralised people's nurseries was initiated in 1986-87 to encourage seedling production by farmers, especially small and marginal farmers to establish small, dispersed nurseries to cater to local needs of planting material and provide income generating activites to the beneficiaries.
4.14.6 Social forestry projects which were initiated in 1981-82 for periods ranging from five to eight years continued in the Seventh Plan. They envisaged tree planting and afforestation of 19,84,600 ha. of wastelands with a total investment of Rs. 911.73 crores. These projects were assisted by several external agencies, including the World Bank, United States Agency for International Development and Overseas Development Agency of United Kingdom.
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4.14.7 Seeds for the ongoing programmes of afforestation were mostly collected without determining their quality. For development of quality seeds, a centrally sponsored scheme was introduced by the National Wastelands Development Board (NWDB) in 1988-89.
4.14.8 To ensure an area-specific approach on fuelwood and fodder, a new centrally sponsored scheme was initiated from 1988-89. This scheme was to cover the watersheds in the districts included under the National Watershed Development Programme of the Department of Agriculture, so as to ensure integrated development of wastelands in the identified watersheds. The scheme was to be implemented initially, in 52 districts of 11 States.
4.14.9 Aerial seeding holds the potential to cover vast tracts quickly in a cost effective manner, especially in remote, inaccessible areas like ravines and hills. A Centrally-Sponsored Scheme for Aerial Seeding was initiated by the National Wastelands Development Board from 1988-89 to assist a few selected states in systematically carrying out aerial seeding in remote areas and to develop and standardise the steps involved in aerial seeding techniques.
4.14.10 To encourage flow of institutional finance for socially beneficial afforestation and watershed development projects and to encourage afforestation through people's active participation, a margin money scheme was initiated by NWDB in 1987-88. This is a Central Sector Scheme where 25% of the project cost is given as grant, provided an equal matching contribution is given by the eligible Institution/State and at least 50% of the total project cost is financed by a financial institution.
4.14.11 Under the National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) carried out by the Department of Rural Development, 25% of the funds were specifi- cally earmarked for the social forestry component, during the first four years of the Seventh Plan. The afforestation component under these programmes was implemented by the State Forest Departments mainly of Government and community lands, road sides and canal embank- ments. Since the availability of community lands was limited, afforestation was also carried out on degraded forest lands. Bulk of the funds for the forestry sector came from the Rural Employment Schemes under the social forestry component. However, an evaluation carried out by the Programme Evaluation Organisation (PEO) of the Planning Commission has indicated that people's participation under this programme has been very limited and the trees planted were of species which met the requirement of wood for urban markets rather than the subsistence needs of fuel and fodder of the rural poor.
4.14.12 An appraisal of the various afforestation schemes undertaken above reveal some defeciencies. They have no specific plan of action for meeting fuel wood and fodder requirements except for the continuance of the scheme for rural fuel wood plantation, which does not directly address these issues. Fostering of people's movements for afforestation has been done largely through increasing people's interest on farm forestry. Under the social forestry pro-gramme, the efforts have largely been departmental. The rural poor and tribals, who depend mostly on public and forest lands for their living, have at best, been given restricted access to the areas taken up for development.
4.14.13 There are certain other issues which also need to be addressed so that the schemes for wasteland development achieve the desired objectives of ecological restoration and meet the socioeconomic needs of the people. The schemes should not be directed towards a single use i.e. fuel or fodder, but should adopt an integrated approach. Besides, in the States, an agency has to be clearly entrusted with the nodal responsibility for wasteland development. An important reason why planning and action programmes for the wastelands development have tended to remain inadequate, is the lack of coordination between the Forest Department, which is the implenting agency in most States, and other departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Soil Conservation, Minor Irrigation and Rural Development.
4.14.14 The existing wasteland development schemes generally are not based on integrating the control of run-off rain-water for reducing erosion, soil and water conservation and water harvesting. In propagating this technology, there is a need to identify and demonstrate such
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approaches which have low cost and are less dependant on capital and external inputs.
Island Development Authority (IDA) 4.15.1 Island Development Authority was constituted in August, 1986 under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister to formulate policies and programmes for an ecologically sound, suitable and integrated development of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. It met six times during the Seventh Plan. The Steering Committee of IDA under the Chairmanship of number, Planning Commission also held thir- teen meetings during the same period. A large number of valuable studies produced by IDA have formed the basis of Plan formulation and resource allocation.
Planning and Environmental Concerns 4.16.1 Systematic efforts have been made since the Sixth Plan period to integrate environmental considerations and imperatives in the planning process in all the key socioeconomic sectors. As a result of sustained endeavour, planning in all major sectors like industry, science & technology, agriculture, energy and education in- cludes environmental considerations. This awareness is now shared by most enterprises in the public sector.
4.16.2 In addition to a number of national level bodies which have been constituted by the ministry of Environment & Forests the Planning Commission has set up several expert groups/committees to formulate long- term sectoral policies.
4.16.3 Two separate Expert Groups, one comprising representatives of industry and the other of intellectuals have been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Member, Planning Commission to reconcile the conceptual confrontation between environment and development.
4.16.4 An expert Group to formulate policies for integrated development of Himalayan Region has been constituted under the Member, Planning Commission.
4.16.5 A Standing Committee under the Chairmanship of Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission has been constituted to look into the possibility of expeditious clearance of pending projects.
4.16.6 The Island Development Authority has been reconstituted. The Steering Committee of Island Development Authority has since been replaced by a newly constituted Standing Committee under the Chairmanship of Deputy Chairman, Planning commission.
4.16.7 Environmental issues such as depletion of Ozone layer, Greenhouse gases and climate change, bio-diversity and role of forests are current global concerns. Some of these issues are to be discussed shortly at United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Brazil in June 1992. It is essential that these negotiations recognise the aspirations of large masses of poor people and do not impose any burden on developing countries, respecting their sovereign right over their resources. Transfer of technology, flow of new and additional resources to developing countries to fully meet any additional cost are pre-requisites to international cooperation in the environment sector.
Basic Policies 4.17.1 A framework of policies pertaining to forestry and Environment already exists in the form of a number of policy documents, Acts and their amendments and guidelines. Some of these are the National Forest Policy 1988, Draft Policy Statement for Abatement of Pollution, 1991, The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, as amended in 1988, National Wildlife Action Plan, Draft National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment & Develop- ment, the Environment Protection Act of 1986, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974, as amended in 1988, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, as amended in 1987.
Eighth Plan Outlay 4.18.1 In the Central Sector an outlay of Rs. 525.00 crores has been provided during the Eighth Plan period for Forestry and Wildlife sub- sector. The corresponding outlay in the State and UT sector is Rs. 3556.87 crores.
14.18.2 During the Eighth Plan an outlay of Rs. 675.00 crores has been provided for Ecology and Environment sub-sector in the Central Plan. In respect of States and UTs the Eighth Plan outlay under this sub-sector has been kept at Rs.153.11 crores.
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Table 4.1 Estimates Of Wastelands In India
(Lakh ha)
States/UT Non-Forest Forest Total
Degraded degraded
Area Area
1. 2. 3. 4.
Andhra Pradesh 76.82 37.34 114.16
Assam 9.35 7.95 17.30
Bihar 38.96 15.62 59.58
Gujarat 71.53 6.83 78.36
Haryana 24.04 0.74 24.78
Himachal Pradesh 14.24 5.34 19.58
Jammu Kashmir 5.31 10.34 15.65
Karnataka 71.22 20.43 91.65
Kerala 10.53 2.26 12.79
Madhya Pradesh 129.47 71.95 201.42
Maharashtra 115.60 28.41 144.01
Manipur 0.14 14.24 14.38
Meghalaya 8.15 11.03 19.18
Nagaland 5.08 8.78 13.86
Orissa 31.57 32.27 63.84
Punjab 11.51 0.79 12.30
Rajasthan 180.01 19.33 199.34
Sikkim 1.31 1.50 2.81
Tamil Nadu 33.92 10.09 44.01
Tripura 1.08 8.65 9.73
Uttar Pradesh 66.35 14.26 80.61
West Bangal 21.77 3.59 25.36
UTs 8.89 27.15 36.04
Total 936.91 358.89 1295.80
Source :Society for Promotion of Wastelands
Development, New Delhi, 1984.