Arunachal Pradesh Environment and Forest Department has achieved 70 per cent afforestation in the state.
This high percentage of Afforestation comes at a time when forest areas are decreasing alarmingly in the country.
The afforestation programme was undertaken under the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in 2010 in the areas where trees were cut by user-agencies for various purposes.
Arunachal Pradesh government generated the fund resources for CAMPA from the user-agencies who are proposing various developmental activities.
Supreme Court in its judgement on 12th March, 2014 had directed states for the release of 10 per cent amount from adhoc "Compensatory Afforestation Funds Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)" for completing the task of compulsory afforestation.
The judgement had also directed that the state concerned would have to make available land on which afforestation could take place.
The state CAMPA, compensatory afforestation was the primary target and the fund was obtained particularly for protection and preservation of forests
In this afforestation, local species were taken up for plantation as indigenous species were more successful.
Why such high percentage of afforestation is necessary for Arunachal Pradesh?
Arunachal Pradesh has total 83,743 sq km geographical area. This state has 51,540 sq km under forest cover out of which 10,089.99 sq km fall under reserve forests.
The state forest has rich bio-diversity with more than 5,000 species of flowering plants, 600 species of orchids, 89 species of bamboos, 18 species of canes, 400 species of ferns, 24 species of gymnosperms and equally high number of unexplored algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes and micro-organism.
Moreover, it is home to more than 100 species of mammals, 650 birds, 83 reptiles, 130 fishes and seven non-human primates and innumerable species of insects, mirco-organisms and other life forms.
Arunachal Pradesh with its rich bio-diversity has been listed as one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
In this state slash and burn agriculture as "Jhum" or "Jhoom cultivation" was practiced.
This system of cultivation involves clearing a piece of forest land by setting fire or clear felling and using the area for growing crops of agricultural importance such as upland rice, vegetables or fruits.
After a few cycles, the land loses fertility and a new area is chosen.
This Jhum cultivation is mostly practiced on the slopes of hills in thickly forested landscapes. This practice has resulted in decline in Forest cover in the North eastern states of India.
Afforestation on this scale will definitely help states to preserve it diverse Bio-diversity.
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