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An area of 800 hectares of land has been identified for plantation under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in Uttarakhand during 2026-27, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh in response to an unstarred question raised by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi regarding CAMPA plantations in Uttarakhand. "As per information received from the State Government of Uttarakhand, during the year2026-27, an area of 800 hectares of land is being taken up for plantation," he said. According to the Ministry, the land for compensatory afforestation is identified in accordance with the provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, under which plantations are carried out on non-forest land or degraded forest land. "The Government of Uttarakhand has informed that both non-forest land and degraded forest land are being identified for raising compensatory afforestation using indigenous tree species," the Ministry said. It added that the plantations would comprise a mix of "timber, fuelwood, fodder, fruit-bearing, medicinal and other locally suitable species." The Ministry further stated that compensatory afforestation is undertaken on land identified and approved as part of the approval granted by the Central Government under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, and in accordance with the provisions of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016. On compliance with the Forest Rights Act (FRA), the Ministry said the Annual Plan of Operations (APO) for CAMPA projects is prepared and implemented as per the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018. "As per Rule 5 of the said Rules, activities undertaken on forest land are carried out in consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha or Village Forest Management Committee, as the case may be, and in consonance with the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006," the Ministry said. It added that the process is followed wherever applicable, in accordance with guidelines issued by respective State Governments and Union Territory administrations. (ANI)
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