New forest policy in Raj aims at raising vegetation cover to 20% | Jaipur News
At present, 9.6% of the state’s geographical area comes under forest area, but as per the Indian State of Forest Report 2021, the forest cover in terms of vegetation cover is only 4.87% of the state’s geographical area.
The Rajasthan Forest Policy 2023 spells its vision as, “To promote the sustainable management of forests, wildlife, biodiversity and protected areas through scientific, traditional and experiential knowledge towards the overall achievement of ecological, economical and social well-being and increase vegetation cover to 20% of the geographical area within next 20 years with special focus on increasing vegetation outside forests.”
To achieve this vision, the policy proposes measures like protection and consolidation, ecological restoration, sustainability, expansion, evidence-based approach, and participation of stakeholders.
The policy says, “…efforts shall be made to increase protection, reduce fragmentation, and increase consolidation of ecological units to achieve a synergistic advantage.”
The policy states that the authorities will focus on promoting natural regeneration and artificial regeneration on forest lands; take up protection, conservation, and plantation on community lands like gochar, oran, charagah, etc.
The policy also mentions that increasing tree cover outside forests will be done through distribution of tall plants to individuals/ farmers.
“Degraded areas including village commons, pasture land, culturable waste land and linear strips would be taken up for afforestation and reforestation… Special care shall be taken regarding representative ecological regimes: rare, endangered and threatened species of flora and fauna and their habitat; certified plus trees and areas of critical ecological importance,” the policy states.
