The Odisha Government has announced to creation ‘Compensatory Afforestation Land Bank’ in each district in order to make land available for projects requiring the diversion of forestland.
A detailed guideline has been issued for the identification of 10,000 hectares of compensatory afforestation land bank by Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
The State government has been facing a shortage of vacant or degraded land for taking up the afforestation programme which resulted in delays in the execution of projects which need the diversion of forestland for non-forest uses under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
“The situation with regard to the availability of land is getting worsened with the passage of time. It has difficult to find government land for the implementation of projects even for development purposes funded by the State exchequer. In many occasions, land reserved for specific purposes in a record of rights is now required to be de-reserved for other public purposes,” the government says.
Now, the land included in the land bank scheme would be provided only for projects undertaken by Central government ministries and State government.
“Identified land should be a compact patch of a minimum extent of 25 hectares of land. However, if the land is in the continuity of land declared or notified as forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or any other law for the time being in force, protected area, tiger reserve or within a designated or identified tiger or wildlife corridor, there should be no restriction on size of land,” the guideline says.
The land should be free from encroachment and encumbrances. Revenue and Disaster Management department after obtaining government approval should notify the recommended land parcel as Compensatory Afforestation Land Bank.
After the mutation of land in its name, the State Forest Department should notify the land as a reserve forest or protected area under relevant provisions under the Odisha Forest Act, 1972.
As on March 31, 2022, about 59,359.9 hectares of forestland have been diverted for developmental projects in various sectors. In 2021-22, 1193.9 ha of forest area was diverted for 18 projects. The largest share of total forestland was diverted for mining-related development activities (50%) followed by irrigation-related activities (17.9%)
As on March 31, 2022, 1,10,368.30 ha has been afforested. Out of the total afforested area, 11,225.30 ha was under Artificial Regeneration (AR) plantation, and 99,143 ha was under Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) with planting in gaps. During 2021-22, 4616.60 Row Kilo Metre (RKM) under avenue plantation was made, and a total of 6.13 crore seedlings were planted and distributed under different afforestation schemes.
