Green Credit Scheme, Recognition of Planting Trees in Areas Exceeding 10,000 Hectares, Know on khetivyapar

The Green Credit Programme has launched an initiative to plant trees on 500 land parcels across 10 states. Madhya Pradesh leads with the highest approved degraded forest land. This Programme involves various organizations and ensures green credits after tree plantation. Since the inception of the Green Credit Programme in the country, nearly 500 land parcels spanning 4,885 hectares, equivalent to about 6,000 football fields, have been approved for tree plantation in 10 states. Along with these states, three other states have identified approximately 10,000 hectares of land for community use.

Madhya Pradesh has reported the highest approved degraded forest land of 954 hectares for plantation/greening activities so far, followed by Telangana with 845 hectares, Chhattisgarh with 713 hectares, Gujarat with 595 hectares, and Assam with 454 hectares. The approval of land parcels in five other states, where approval has been granted by the administrator of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), includes Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Odisha. So far, the forest departments of 13 states have identified land parcels.

The Green Credit Programme has garnered participation from various public sector initiatives and other organizations to plant trees on degraded forest land. Individuals, industries, and other public/private entities, including philanthropic organizations and local bodies, can voluntarily take part in the program. 

The initiative was launched six months ago to promote environmentally friendly practices among people. In February, the Ministry of Environment released guidelines for calculating credits earned through tree plantation on lands in every state and Union Territory. Tree species selection will be based on the biodiversity of each degraded forest land block, done in consultation with the relevant forest department and the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).

S.S. Badhawan, a retired Indian Forest Service officer and former principal chief conservator of forests, remarked, "Considering the legal standpoint, in 1990, the Government of India directed all State Governments to establish Joint Forest Management Committees and involve local tribal communities in the restoration of degraded forests. Since then, these JFMCs have been actively engaged in forest protection and tree planting activities.