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Forest cover enhance livelihood activities in Bangaru Telangana
Highlights
Forests cover is critical for living environment, as it influences the quality and quantity of air and water and plays a major role in supporting livelihood activities of rural poor, contributing to the economy of the State, mitigating the threat of Global warming besides conserving the fertile soil and vulnerable Wildlife. Forestry and logging contribution to state GSDP at current prices is 0.9% and 5.02% in Agriculture sector GSDP for the year 2014-15. The core objective of forest sector is to enhance green cover by integrating it with livelihood.
Forests cover is critical for living environment, as it influences the quality and quantity of air and water and plays a major role in supporting livelihood activities of rural poor, contributing to the economy of the State, mitigating the threat of Global warming besides conserving the fertile soil and vulnerable Wildlife. Forestry and logging contribution to state GSDP at current prices is 0.9% and 5.02% in Agriculture sector GSDP for the year 2014-15. The core objective of forest sector is to enhance green cover by integrating it with livelihood.
The Geographical area of the Telangana State is 1,14,865 Sq.Kms and stood at 12th position in India, having 29,242 Sq. Kms which amounts to 25.46% including social forestry.
Out of 29,242 Sq.kms Reserved Forest area is 21,024 Sq.Kms, Protected forest forms 7468 Sq.Kms and the rest of 750 Sq.Kms are un-classified. The total revenue achieved from forest produce in the state upto December 2014 is Rs.54.16 crore.
The district wise geographical area and the corresponding forest area for the state of Telangana is depicted in the graph below.
As per Revised 2002 State Forest Policy, Vision 2020, Forest Department implements various development schemes to protect and develop existing forests, to improve its productivity and economic value.
The main objectives of programmes are Community Forest Management, National Afforestation Programme (NAP) (Centrally Sponsored), RIDF Projects, Soil & Moisture Conservation, Social Forestry, Wildlife Management and Human Resource Development are enriching existing low density forests and alleviating rural poverty.
Contour Trenches, Rock fill-dams, Percolation tanks etc, in forest areas.
These structures help in recharging of ground water in turn improve forest vegetation besides stabilizing the status of agriculture in adjoining fields.
Keeping in view recent trends, the department has laid special emphasis on Forest Research to conduct experiments, improve nursery and plantation techniques, vegetative propagation, seed production and in various silvicultural practices.
Monitoring of vegetation (Forest) Canopy Cover Density, Forest Fire Risk Zonisation Mapping, Mapping all forest areas with site suitability, Re-locating & demarcating forest boundaries and inventory of forest re¬sources are some of the major and important activities taken up by the department using latest information technology which includes GIS.
Almost all programmes/schemes of the Forest Department are being implemented through participation of local people, Vana Samrakshna Samithis (VSS) and Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) in Protected Areas and Watershed Development Committees in River Valley Project.
Forest Development Agencies are federations of all VSS within a Territorial / Wildlife Forest Divisions under the Societies Registration Act. It operates in a 3-Tier system with the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at the State Level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at Divisional Level and Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS) at Village Level.
Social Forestry
The Government has launched a massive people’s movement involving general public and farmers in a big way to increase tree cover outside reserve Forests to improve and protect the Environment and to provide gainful employment. The main components of Social Forestry are distribution of seedlings, raising of Plan¬tations in community lands, Institutions and Road side Avenues.
The main species raised for free distribution and planting in public lands are Neem, Pongamia, Ficus species like Raavi & Marri, Gangaraavi, Usiri (Amla), Seethaphal, Badam, Mango, Teak, Casuraina, Eucalyptus and others. Forestry operations have been converged with MGNREGS in Reserved Forest areas and outside the Forest.
Telangana Ku Haritha Haram
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“Telangana Ku Haritha Haram (TKHH)”, a flagship programme of the State Government envisages increas¬ing the tree cover of the State from present 25.16% to 33% of the total geographical area of the state. This objective is sought to be achieved by a multi-pronged approach of rejuvenating degraded forests, ensuring more effective protection of forests against smuggling, encroachment, fire, grazing and intensive soil and moisture conservation measures both inside and outside forest following the watershed approach.
Apart from the above major fillip up is sought to be given to Social Forestry by taking of massive plantation activities outside Forest areas which include Multi-row road side Avenues, River and Canal bank, Barren hill, Tank bunds and Foreshore areas, Institutional premises, Religious places, Housing Colonies, Community abandoned lands etc. The Greening efforts will be taken up involving all stakeholders. This approach would be duly supported by the needed reforms in policy, law and administrative matters.
As a part of this, in the coming three years 230 crore seedlings are proposed to be planted in the State. Out of this 130 crore seedlings are proposed to be planted outside the notified forest areas i.e., 10 crore within HMDA limits, 120 crores in rest of the area of the State. It is also proposed to rejuvenate 100 crore plants inside the notified forests by way of intensive protection of the Forests and encouraging the live root stock.
Under Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme a comprehensive exercise for identification of nurseries and plantation sites has been undertaken taking the inputs from “Mana Vooru- Mana Pranalika” (MVMP) initiative of the Government.
A Total number of 3888 nurseries have been identified village wise for raising planting stock by involving various agencies (Forest Department, DWMA, Agriculture, Horticulture, Tribal Welfare etc.) for achieving the target of raising 40 crore seedlings for 2015 planting season. Further, initiative is being taken to raise another 40 crore tall seedlings of adequate height for 2016 planting.
Haritha Haram - Nursery
Implementation of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) is constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI, to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating forest land diverted for non-forest uses.
The CAMPA is being implemented from 2009 onwards in the State and the expenditure incurred for Tel¬angana from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 is Rs. 233.125 crores. The expenditure incurred during the year 2014¬2015 (up to Dec 2014) is Rs. 45.11 crores as against the annual outlay of Rs. 101.95 crores.
Achievement of CAMPA in Telangana during 2014-15
• The total area planted under Net Present Value (NPV) Component is 2695 ha.
• 144 Base Camps, 60 Strike Forces, 57 Check Posts are established and maintained.
• 763 kms of Fire lines created and maintained with 458 Fire watchers every season. 19 Fire watch Tow¬ers to be constructed in Fire risk zone areas.
• 5070 Boundary pillars are proposed for construction around the forest blocks.
• 6 kms of Protection wall is proposed for construction around Urban Forest Blocks.
• 44 Quarters to frontline staff are proposed for construction of which 20 are completed and occupied. An advance operation in 5030 ha is proposed under NPV for planting in 2015 under CAMPA.
Wildlife Bio-Diversity Conservation in Telangana State
The state of Telangana is endowed with rich Flora, Fauna and Eco-Systems. The state has 2939 plant spe¬cies, 365 bird species, 103 mammal species and 28 reptile species in addition to large number of Invertebrate species.
With the objective of preserving the biodiversity the Government has declared 12 Protected Areas which includes 9 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 3 National Parks covering an area of 5692.48 Sq. Kms which is 19.73% of the forest area of Telangana State. The network of Protected Areas include important wetlands like Manjeera Wildlife Sanctuary and Siwaram Wildlife Sanctuary which are home for the endangered Marsh Crocodile also called Mugger.
The state has two tiger reserves namely Amrabad Tiger Reserve in the Nallamala hill tracts spreading over Mahboobnagar and Nalgonda districts and the other Kawal Tiger Reserve has forest areas which are contig¬uous to Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra and Indravathi Tiger Reserve in Chattisgarh.
Tigers are known to migrate between Kawal and the other two Tiger Reserves.
Hence, development of corridors linking the three Tiger Reserves through Mancherial, Bellampalli and Kagaznagar Divisions are vital for the conservation of the endangered Tiger species.
Telangana Bio Diversity Board (TSBDB)
The Telangana Biodiversity Board constituted with the objective of conservation and sustainable utilization of biological diversity and fair and equitable sharing of biological resources among all stakeholders.
Biodi¬versity Board conducts International day of Biodiversity on 22nd May every year. 170 Bio-Diversity Manage¬ment Committees have been constituted in Telangana by covering 10 Districts, 66 Mandals and 1 Municipal Corporation in Hyderabad. The Biodiversity Board proposed to establish Biodiversity parks in each district for creating awareness among the people about biodiversity and its implications.
G.Rajendera Kumar
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