The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found that the concentration of plantation activities in easily accessible areas, such as land along paths, except degraded patches in the middle of unplanned dense forest in Odisha – is among the reasons cited for missing plantation targets in the state. since a.
Criticizing the state government, the CAG said that the tree plantation done in the state has not improved the forest area and the forest area has not increased to its full potential. Further, the Apex Audit Agency stated that the State does not have any database on degraded land.
The forest area of Odisha in the state has been assessed as 51,619 sq km, which is 33.15% of the state’s geographical area as per the India State Forest Report 2019.
The performance audit of CAG states that the shortfall in achievement of plantation targets during the period 2013-14 to 2017-18 ranged from 11.98% to 50.89% under different types of plantations. During this period, the government had set a tree plantation target of 8,80,705 hectares, while it only managed to plant trees in 4,32,543 hectares – a decrease of 50.89 per cent.
“A sharp decline in the achievement of plantation targets during the period indicates setting of unrealistic targets. Due to non-availability of data in respect of degraded forest land and vacant revenue land, the planning process of plantation was limited to immediate data provided by the field staff in a piecemeal manner,” it said.
The CAG says, “Aerial surveys of plantation sites using unmanned aerial vehicles have revealed that the concentration of plantation activities in easily accessible areas such as land along the path, has left degraded patches in the middle of the dense forest.” “
The audit agency further stated that the database of degraded forest and non-forest lands was not available with the Department, hence the target of compensatory afforestation programs under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was not achieved within the stipulated period of three years. and hence, could not compensate the forest area against diversion of forest land.
Pointing out that the plantation programs under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Energy Guarantee Scheme were fruitless and failed due to improper selection of plantation sites in dense forest, the CAG termed it the lack of coordination at the level of the Office of the Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs). and District Rural Development Agencies are planning tree plantation projects in a division.