The sluggish pace of expenditure and afforestation efforts under the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in Jammu and Kashmir is deeply concerning. With only two months left in the financial year 2024-25, a massive 36.15 lakh saplings remain to be planted, and just Rs 108 crore has been spent out of the Rs 240 crore released for afforestation efforts. Such a slow implementation rate raises serious doubts about achieving the Annual Plan of Operations within the stipulated timeframe. Despite the urgency of ecological restoration, the implementation agencies of the Forest Department have failed to utilise funds efficiently and meet physical targets. As of January 31, 2025, only 5600 hectares of degraded forest have been treated against a goal of 9072 hectares. The question now is the completion of work in just two months.
The lack of timely fund utilisation also raises accountability concerns. Heads of departments must also be held accountable. The larger concern is that J&K has already witnessed significant forest land diversion under the Forest Conservation Act, with 14,417 hectares being allocated for non-forestry purposes. Although compensatory afforestation has been carried out on an area much larger than mandated, delayed execution hampers the ecological balance and affects climate resilience efforts. The Supreme Court’s directive requiring detailed data on compensatory afforestation is a reminder of the importance of transparency and compliance. The authorities must ensure that mapping and verification are completed on time for submission. Moving ahead, the 2025-26 financial year must focus on addressing past deficiencies. The proposed measures, including prioritising forest conservation cases, cleared up to December 2024, improving nursery practices for better sapling survival, and investing in fire fighting infrastructure, are steps in the right direction. However, their success depends on efficient execution and accountability. CAMPA funds are meant to compensate for the ecological damage caused by forest land diversion. Any inefficiency in fund utilisation defeats the very purpose of the program. The J&K administration must ensure that afforestation and conservation efforts are not just bureaucratic exercises but effective, timely actions that contribute to the region’s environmental sustainability.
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