Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements.
As per law, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority exists at both National and State levels.
People’s participation is mandatory in the Compensatory Afforestation programmes carried out under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 concerns the management of money received in lieu of the diversion of forest land for non-forest use.
The Act was enacted in 2016, and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018 were framed under it.
The Act establishes a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund for each State.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authorities have been constituted at both National and State levels to manage these funds. Therefore, Statement 1 is correct.
These authorities are commonly called National CAMPA and State CAMPA.
User agencies obtaining forest land for non-forest use are required to provide money for compensatory afforestation and other components.
The collected amount may include the cost of compensatory afforestation, Net Present Value and other forest-conservation-related payments.
Under the Act, 90% of the money received is credited to the concerned State Fund and 10% to the National Fund.
The funds may be used for activities such as compensatory afforestation, natural regeneration, forest protection, forest-fire control, and soil and water conservation.
They may also be used for wildlife conservation, habitat improvement and the development of forest-related institutional capacity.
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 does not expressly make people’s participation mandatory in every programme. Therefore, Statement 2 is not correct.
The role of the Gram Sabha or local communities may arise from other laws, particularly the Forest Rights Act, and project-specific procedures.
Compensatory afforestation aims to offset the ecological damage caused by forest-land diversion, but a new plantation cannot immediately replace all ecological characteristics of a natural forest.
Therefore, avoiding and minimizing the diversion of forest land should remain a priority in projects.