CAMPA depletes forest cover in Visakhapatnam
Quality of afforestation taken up by companies is very low.
Visakhapatnam: The diversion of reserved forest land for non-forest purposes under the Compensatory Forestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) programme is failing to revive the degraded forests and restore the forest lost to developmental projects. It is only degrading the natural reserved forest that cannot be restored back ever.
The three forest divisions of Visakhapatnam district generated revenue of about Rs 1,200 lakh (Rs 12 crore) in the recently concluded fiscal year (2015-16). The Visakhapatnam forest division has diverted about 200 hectare of forest land and the settlement process of 20 applications for forest clearance is going on. According to the guidelines, the party wanting to acquire the forest land has to pay the Net Present Value of the land diverted and also to carry out compensatory afforestation on the equivalent land at some other place.
The fund could also be used for protected areas such as creation of retaining walls, trenches or electrified fences and treatment of the catchment area, so wildlife does not have to stray far in search of water. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, some forest officials said the lands allotted by the government for the compensatory forestation are not fit for plantation. This has posed to be a tough challenge for the officials to grow plants on barren land.
Some green activists also opined that barren farm land should be diverted instead of the natural reserved forest. And even when afforestation happens, the outcomes are below par. "If we compare the forest generated against the type and quality of forest lost, compensatory afforestation is not working. The quality of the plantation drive is abysmal," says G Srinivas, a green activist.
It is learnt that forest areas which used to have at least 20 native species (of trees) are being diverted against the artificial forest that is being planned with about 5-10 species that are fast growing so as to meet the target. In these days of rising temperatures, green cover is more important. The recent cyclone Hudhud wreaked havoc and destroyed much green cover.