In its first phase, the mission aimed at improving ecosystem services in 10 million hectares of land, increase forest-based livelihood income of around three million forest dependent households and enhance Co2 sequestration by 50 to 60 MT in the year 2020.
The mission’s interventions began in 2015-16 and around 11.22 million hectares were brought under plantations by 2020–21.
The government said the new phase of the mission will work towards creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, a key commitment made by India under the Paris Agreement to combat climate change.
One of the eight components of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change launched in 2008, the updated mission aims to restore the ecologically critical Aravalli hills, which stretch 700 kilometre from Gujarat to Delhi.
One of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, the Aravallis play a key role in sustaining natural resources but face threats from deforestation, mining and construction. This has led to desertification, declining rainfall and groundwater depletion.
Under the Aravalli Green Wall project, the government plans to create a five-kilometre green buffer belt around the mountain range, which will act as a barrier against desert winds and help recharge groundwater, ensuring long-term ecological stability in the region.
The mission also aims to restore and protect the Western Ghats, one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Stretching 1,600 km from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu, the Ghats are home to rich plant and animal life, absorbing up to 10 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions.
However, deforestation, illegal mining, and pollution have severely damaged the ecosystem, affecting water sources, agriculture, and biodiversity, while also increasing human-wildlife conflict and altering local climate patterns.
The mission will also focus on restoring degraded Himalayan slopes by planting native species to stop soil erosion, control landslides and improve rainwater harvesting.
It will employ methods like gully plugging and contour trenching to stabilize slopes.
In the Northeast, the mission seeks to address shifting (jhum) cultivation through respectful, locally appropriate technologies.
It will also promote seabuckthorn plantations in suitable areas of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Sikkim to enhance ecological health and local livelihoods.
The mission further aims to tackle soil erosion in the arid regions of northwest India, where fertile land is turning barren due to wind, overgrazing, poor land management, and loss of vegetation.
The government will promote planting windbreaks, regulating grazing, conserving soil and water, introducing hardy native grasses, and harvesting rainwater to restore ecological balance and boost land productivity.
Additionally, as part of the updated mission, central and state governments will restore mangroves in areas where they once existed but have disappeared, with focus on coastal, river and delta regions.
Mangroves, spread over 4,975 sq kilometre, are biodiversity hotspots and protect coasts from cyclones, tsunamis and erosion. These ecosystems also support marine life by serving as breeding and nursery grounds. The government further plans to restore bamboo forests, especially in Northeast and central India. Bamboo helps protect steep slopes, stops soil erosion, stores carbon and provides many other environmental benefits. PTI GVS OZ OZ OZ
