Centre releases over Rs 47,000 cr to increase green cover in states

In a major step towards increasing afforestation in the country, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has handed over forty seven thousand crore rupees from Compensatory Afforestation Fund to various states.

In a media briefing in the New Delhi, Javadekar appealed to the states that the budget for afforestation must be increased as this is the investment for future. He said that the funds will be utilized as per the provisions of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act and rules.

The Minister said that the fund will be utilized for the compensatory afforestation, catchment area treatment, wildlife management, natural regeneration, forest fire prevention, soil and moisture conservation, improvement of wildlife habitat. He further said that monitoring of the implementation of the efforts pertaining to afforestation will be done with the help of the technology like geo- tagging and video shooting.