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4-Apr-2022: Steps to control desertification

The Government is implementing several schemes/programmes to combat desertification, which include, inter –alia:

1. National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB) is implementing National Afforestation Programme (NAP) for ecological restoration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through people's participation. The scheme is implemented through 3 tier institutional set up of State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development agency (FDA) at Forest Division Level and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at village level. An amount of 157.78 crore has been released to the States/UTs to treat an area of 37110 hectares during 2018-21 under NAP.
2. National Mission for Green India (GIM) aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover by means of plantation activities in forest and non-forest areas. GIM activities were started in the FY 2015-16. A sum of Rs. 594.28 Crores have been released to fifteen States namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, West Bengal, and one union territory Jammu & Kashmir for creation of plantation over an area of 117503 hectares. In the last three years (2018-19 to 2020-21), an amount of Rs 298.10 crore has been sanctioned, out of which Rs. 233.44 crore has been utilized.
3. Demand driven action oriented research work is carried out through projects under National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS). Certain projects include the development of models for land reclamation, soil conservation and watershed management, etc. Rs,10.84 crore was sanctioned under NMHS and the entire amount was utilized in the last three years (2018-19 to 2020-21).
4. Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) is implemented under Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna, with objective to develop rainfed and degraded lands. The activities undertaken include , inter-alia, ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture development, livelihoods, etc. through interventions to ensure sustainable development and improved natural resource management with better resilience to climate change.