Pvt firms may help revive MP's degraded forests

The Madhya Pradesh government plans to hand over degraded forest land, which accounts for about 38% of the state's total forest cover, to private investors for afforestation with the right to sell 50% of the minor forest produce, a senior government official said.

- Shruti Tomar

BHOPAL:

Under the draft of a new policy, which will, if adopted, become the first of its kind in the country, the state plans to hand over between 10 and 1,000 hectares of forest land to private agencies for 60 years in which time they can plant species of their choice on it, trade in forest produce, excluding timber, and rate the forest for carbon sequestration to earn carbon credits.

The amended Forest Conservation Act of 2023 allows state governments to use private investment in forest management including commercial activities such as eco-tourism after an approval from the Central government.

According to a senior government official who asked not to be named, allowing private firms in forest management will happen in two phases. In first, at least 10 hectares each of degraded forest will be handed to private companies for afforestation under Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Environment Responsibility and to NGOs. In the second phase, forest land between 25 acres and 1,000 hectares will be given to private investors, according to the draft of the policy seen by HT.