A Green Leap: Plant or Pay

Policy Suggestions to Increase Green Cover

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India needs aggressive push to significantly increase its forest and tree cover hence must adopt a comprehensive and strategic new plan. Relying on current efforts and voluntary planting drives may no longer be sufficient.

A robust proposed framework recommends fundamentally changing this approach, making the act of growing trees an economically sensible investment backed by legally enforceable mandates. These suggestions aim to link green growth directly to individual profit, corporate responsibility, and complete, transparent accountability. This shift recognizes that the climate crisis demands solutions that offer both incentives (the Leap) and strict compliance (the Pay).

Mandates, Responsibility, and Land Allocation

Linear Green Corridors: Linear land stretches along rivers, canals, roads, pipelines, and railway lines etc. could be leased to the adjoining landowner for growing trees.

This commercial contract establishes immediate stewardship over vast, currently neglected public areas as in the past few decades this green cover has been lost

Revenue Sharing: A contractual system should be established where the sale price of mature timber could be shared with the government at a fixed percentage. This ensures public benefit from private management.

Protection for Growers: The government should assure protection against cattle grazing. Penalties should be defined for owners whose livestock damage the plantation.