The compensatory afforestation riddle

The whole focus has shifted to spending money rather than arresting forest loss. Funds have to be spent even if land is not available.

When news about the decision to fell more than 16,000 full-grown trees in Delhi broke last month, one question raised related to compensatory afforestation and the availability of land for it. The chairman of the National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited correctly pointed out that if compensatory plantation had not happened despite the company having deposited Rs 80 million with the Delhi government’s forest department, they could not be held responsible. 

This reflects the ingrained problems in our laws and policies. Zooming out from Delhi, let us look at the present situation in forested and tribal-dominated states. Large tracts of forest are