CAG audit flags gaps in Green India Mission’s forest‑restoration drive
Summary
- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that the Green India Mission (GIM) largely relied on counting planted trees rather than assessing actual forest‑restoration outcomes.
- Target of increasing forest cover by 5 million hectares by 2022 was missed; satellite data shows only about 2.2 million hectares added.
- A large share of funds (≈ ₹4,500 crore) remained unutilised or was spent on low‑impact activities such as mere tree‑planting drives without survival‑rate monitoring.
- CAG highlighted weak institutional mechanisms, absence of baseline data, and lack of robust monitoring‑verification systems at the state level.
- Recommendations include shifting focus to ecosystem‑based restoration, strengthening ground‑truth surveys, and integrating community participation.
Key Facts
- · Green India Mission is a flagship scheme under the National Forest Mission.
- · Original target: increase forest/vegetation cover by 5 million hectares by 2022.
- · CAG report (2023‑24) indicates only ~2.2 million hectares added as per remote‑sensing data.
- · Approximately ₹4,500 crore was earmarked for GIM; about 30% remained unspent.
- · Major implementation shortfall stems from over‑reliance on tree‑counting instead of survival‑rate monitoring.
- · CAG recommends a shift to ecosystem‑based restoration and better state‑level coordination.
Why it matters
Forests are vital for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and livelihood security; shortcomings in the Green India Mission affect India's climate commitments and rural economies, making robust monitoring and genuine restoration essential for policy success.
#Green India Mission#CAG audit#forest restoration#environment policy#climate change#government schemes