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The detailed compensatory afforestation scheme alongwith details of non-forest/degraded forest area identified for compensatory afforestation map is required to be submitted in the prescribed form.

 

Land for Compensatory Afforestation

(i)                 Compensatory afforestation shall be done over equivalent area of non-forest land.

(ii)               As far as possible, the non-forest land for compensatory afforestation should be identified contiguous to or in the proximity of Reserved Forest or Protected Forest to enable the Forest Department to effectively manage the newly planted area.

(iii)              In the event that non-forest land of compensatory afforestation is not available nearby, non-forest land for compensatory afforestation may be identified anywhere else in the State as near as possible to the site of diversion, so as to minimise adverse impact on the ecosystem of the area.

(iv)             Where non-forest lands are not available or non-forest land is available in less extent to the forest area being diverted, compensatory afforestation may be carried out over degraded forest twice in extent to the area being diverted or to the difference between forest land being diverted and available non-forest land, as the case may be.

(v)              The non-availability of non-forest land for compensatory afforestation would be accepted by the Central Government only on the Certificate from the Chief Secretary to the State/UT Government to that effect.

 

As an exception to above, compensatory afforestation may be raised over degraded forest land twice in extent of the forest area being diverted/dereserved in respect of following types of proposals:

 

(a)              For extraction of minerals. (However, if forest area to be diverted is above 500 hectares, compensatory afforestation over equivalent area of degraded forest shall be required to be done instead of twice the area being diverted subject to a minimum of 1000 hectares compensatory afforestation).

(b)              For construction of link roads, small water works, minor irrigation works, school building, dispensaries, hospital, tiny industrial sheds of the Government or any other similar work excluding mining and encroachment cases, which directly benefit the people of the area – in hill districts and in other districts having forest area exceeding 50% of the total geographical area, provided diversion of forest area does not exceed 20 hectares.

(c)              For laying of transmission lines up to 220 K.V.

(d)              For mulberry plantation undertaken for silk-worm rearing without any felling of existing trees.

(e)              For diversion of linear or ‘strip' plantation declared as protected forest along the road/rail/canal sides for widening or expansion of road/rail/canal.

 

No compensatory afforestation shall be insisted upon in respect of the following:

(i)                 For clearing of naturally grown trees in forest land or in portion thereof for the purpose of using it for reforestation.

(ii)               Proposals involving diversion of forest land up to one hectare. (However, in such cases, plantation of ten times the number of trees likely to be felled will have to be carried out by way of compensatory afforestation or any number of trees specified in the order).

(iii)              For underground mining lease except in respect of forest area proposed to be freshly broken up for which compensatory afforestation shall be required to be undertaken on equivalent non-forest land.

 

Scheme for Compensatory Afforestation

 

The scheme for compensatory afforestation should contain the following details:

(a)              Details of equivalent non-forest or degarded forest land identified for raising compensatory afforestation.

(b)              Delineation of proposed area on suitable map.

(c)              Agency responsible for afforestation.

(d)              Details of work schedule proposed for compensatory afforestation.

(e)              Cost structure of plantation, provision of funds and the mechanism to ensure that the funds will be utilized for raising afforestation.

(f)                Details of proposed monitoring mechanism.

 

Lands Identified for Compensatory Afforestation to be Transferred to the Forest Department

(i)                 Equivalent non-forest land identified for the purpose is to be transferred to the ownership of the State Forest Department, and declared as protected forests so that the plantation raised can be maintained permanently. The transfer must take place prior to the commencement of the project.

(ii)               The compensatory afforestation should clearly be can additional plantation activity and not a diversion of part of the annual plantation programme.

(iii)              In each case where the afforestation target is over 500 hectares in plains, and 200 hectares in hills, a Monitoring Committee shall be established with a nominee of the Central Government to oversee that the stipulations, including those pertaining to compensatory plantation are carried out.

 

To cut short delay in processing the proposals for forest clearance it has been decided that these proposals for development project be submitted to MEF's Regional Offices for processing.