New forest scheme to blend corporate support with community participation
Forests are indispensable for ecological balance, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and providing livelihood opportunities for local communities. Forests are equally important for vital economic sectors like hydropower, tourism and horticulture. Recognising the potential of forests in the development, the State Government has recently approved the launching of Mukhya Mantri Green Adoption Yojna to involve the private sector under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards environmental sustainability. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh has special mention of this scheme in his budget speech for fiscal 2025-26 which shows his dedication to ensure increase in forest cover in the state.
A Spokesperson of the State Government said that this would enable private entities to participate financially and engage directly in the ecological restoration of specific degraded forest sites. He said that under the scheme, the Forest Department will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the private entrepreneurs for a period of five years. The MoU would have all details including approved budget, cost of plantation, maintenance, protection, soil/moisture conservation, fencing and other approved activities. He said that the aim of this initiative is to increase the State’s actual forest area through plantations on degraded forest lands. He said that this would promote sustainable forest management practices, enhance bio diversity and strengthen the ecological resilience against climate change.
He said that community involvement was a cornerstone of sustainable forest management. Adopting private entities would encourage to integrate local communities in the project, providing employment opportunities in activities such as site preparation, planting, watering, weeding and acting as chowkidars for protection. He said that local institutions like Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals, Self Help Groups and Panchayat representatives would foster ownership and long term protection of the planted areas thereby ensuring livelihoods to the locals.
He said that a dedicated section on the Forest Department website would be created to provide comprehensive information about the scheme alongwith displaying a list of available degraded forests sites. He said that the forest department would also provide technical guidance and expertise throughout the project from planning to monitoring.
He said that the scheme would go a long way in boosting biodiversity, improving air quality, and supporting local ecosystems. He said that this would also provide a structured platform for eligible entities to effectively discharge their CSR obligations towards environmental sustainability, gaining recognition and enhance their brand values as responsible corporate citizens and ‘Green Partners’ of the State.
