To enhance urban greenery, 111 city forests receive sanction in 100 days

  • The environment ministry aims to develop 1,000 Nagar Vans, or city forests, by 2027 via the Nagar Van scheme.

Puja Das
Published22 Sep 2024, 06:04 PM IST
MoEFCC revised Nagar Van Yojana in 2020 to enhance the urban greenery for improving the quality of life and increasing social cohesion in cities.
MoEFCC revised Nagar Van Yojana in 2020 to enhance the urban greenery for improving the quality of life and increasing social cohesion in cities.(Mint)

New Delhi: As many as 111 Nagar Vans, or city forests, across six states and one Union territory have been sanctioned in the 100 days action plan of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC).

This comes at a time when combating climate change is every nation’s priority as reports say that climate change could become the main driver of 2-11% biodiversity loss by the mid-century. 

The target was to approve 100 Nagar Vans. MoEFCC revised Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) in 2020 to enhance the urban greenery for improving the quality of life and increasing social cohesion in cities, an official statement said.

Mint in July reported India's environment ministry was gearing up to promote urban forests to combat climate change as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s 100-day agenda.

Also read | MoEFCC minister Bhupendra Yadav calls for thoughtful use of fossil fuels and sustainable development

The scheme, meant to help in protecting forest land within and around urban centres from degradation and encroachment and will also address environmental concerns such as air pollution, urban heat islands, the loss of biodiversity, degradation of habitat, etc., aims to develop 1,000 Nagar Vans by 2027 with the financial support of National Fund of National Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority.

NVY provides financial assistance of 400,000 per hectare for the creation and maintenance of these urban forests, encouraging the involvement of citizens, students, and other stakeholders in the creation and management of these green spaces. Nagar Van areas range from 10-50 hectares.

The scheme covers all cities with municipal corporations, municipalities and urban local bodies (ULBs). Emphasis is on biodiversity, planting fruit-bearing, medicinal, and native species to attract wildlife and promote ecological balance. Community participation is central, with opportunities for public engagement through tree planting, educational programmes, and sustainable management. Each Nagar Van must have at least two-thirds of its area under tree cover and will feature components like biodiversity parks, smriti vans, butterfly conservatories, and herbal gardens and now matri van created under Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam, as per the mandate of the scheme.

Under Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam, a special country-wide tree plantation campaign for protecting trees and earth, India planted 750 million trees between 5 June and 17 September, according to another official statement.

Also read | Govt to focus on urban forests in its 100-day agenda

The campaign emphasizes the dual purpose of environmental stewardship and personal gratitude, symbolizing the nurturing role of both trees and mothers in our lives. The campaign aims at involving everyone in halting and reversing land degradation, building drought resistance and preventing desertification. The government targets planting 800 million trees by September end and 140 crores by FY25, under this mass tree plantation special campaign. More than 750 million saplings have been planted by now under this campaign and detailed information has been uploaded on MeriLiFE portal, the statement read.

Such initiatives assume importance as India’s Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) programme for behavioural change and sustainable consumption can, if adopted worldwide, reduce more than 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2030, according to the International Energy Agency, at a time when India and other countries are aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy quickly and sustainably, mostly by reducing use of fossil fuels and changing as many processes as possible to operate on low carbon electricity.

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First Published:22 Sep 2024, 06:04 PM IST
Business NewsEconomyTo enhance urban greenery, 111 city forests receive sanction in 100 days

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