Compensatory afforestation to mitigate impact of forest land diversion
Only one month left for submission of details to National Authority
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 1: Majority of the Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) have been soft-paddling on the preparation of Annual Plan of Operations for mitigating the impact of forest land diversion for various developmental projects despite repeated communiqués from the Project Coordinator of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
This is notwithstanding the fact that only one month has been left for submission of details to the National Authority by the concerned authorities of the State Forest Department for approval.
For utilization of forest land for various developmental activities, the user agencies pay monies for compensatory afforestation and the same are kept in a dedicated fund called Compensatory Afforestation Fund. Subsequently, the funds are released as per the Annual Plan of Operations so as to mitigate the impact of forest land diversion.
As per the draft J&K Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018, the Annual Plan of Operations for the next financial year is required to be submitted by the State Authority to the National Authority by or before December 31 every year. To meet this time-line, the Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs)/Implementing Agencies are required to initiate the process of preparation of Annual Plan of Operations in the month of October.
In order to finalize the Annual Plan of Operations within this timeline, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Project Coordinator CAMPA vide Communication No.FNo.720/1932-82 dated October 20, 2018 requested the Chief Wildlife Warden, Director Soil and Water Conservation Department, Director Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing, Director State Forest Research Institute, Director Social Forestry, Chief Conservator of Forests, Settlement and Demarcation, Director Forest Protection Force and others to advise all the Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs)/Implementing Agencies under their control to prepare Annual Plan of Operations for the year 2019-2020 and submit the same by November 15 for scrutiny, 2018.
For the convenience of the DFOs/Implementing Agencies even the draft J&K Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018 were placed before them through their respective Heads of the Departments besides the ceiling proposed for 2019-20 financial year.
It was specifically mentioned in the communication of October 20, 2018 that based on the Annual Plan of Operations received from the DFOs/Implementing Agencies the CAMPA Secretariat will convene meeting of Executive Committee before December 15 for consideration and recommendation to the State Level Steering Committee, which is required to finalize the Annual Plan of Operations and subsequent recommendation to the National Authority before December 31.
However, majority of the DFOs have failed to meet the deadline of November 15, 2018 in utter disregard to the explicit communication of CAMPA Project Coordinator and in blatant violation of J&K Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018.
This can be gauged from the latest communication of CAMPA Project Coordinator, which reads: “You were requested to provide the Annual Plan of Operations by or before November 15, 2018 but the same are yet to be received by the CAMPA Secretariat. It is requested that the same may be furnished without any further loss of time”.
When contacted, Project Coordinator CAMPA Sarvesh Rai confirmed that majority of the DFOs/Implementing Agencies have yet not come forward with Annual Plan of Operations. “As we have been left with only one month for submission of CAMPA Annual Plan of Operations to the National Authority the matter has again been taken up with all the concerned authorities to ascertain the difficulties being faced in preparation and submission of Annual Plan of Operations”, he said in response to a question.
For utilization of monies received from user agencies for compensatory afforestation separate plan as per the division-wise CA amount received during the year 2018-19 is required to be prepared. Similarly, for utilization of monies received from user agencies for road-side plantation separate plan is required to be drafted.
For utilization of monies received from diversion of forest lands in protected areas, the plan needs to be prepared for wildlife conservation as provided in the Wildlife Management Plan.
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