Why Maharashtra’s Green India Mission saplings died: CAG lists the failures

A recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has highlighted major failures in Maharashtra's implementation of the Green India Mission (GIM), a flagship program launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2014. The mission aims to protect, restore and enhance forest cover across 16 states and Union Territories until 2024-25. In Maharashtra, 35 sites were selected for the mission, involving four talukas in Nandurbar, Bhor and Wadsa.

However, the CAG report reveals that Maharashtra failed to achieve almost all the major targets under the scheme within the timeline. The forest department's apex body, the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA), was never revamped as mandated, resulting in no meetings being held in the decade between 2014-15 and 2024-25. In 2018-19, despite releasing Rs 17.17 crore to the SFDA, only Rs 9.26 crore was actually spent, leaving a deficit of Rs 4.42 crore.

The audit found discrepancies in the reported utilization of funds, with the SFDA claiming full utilization but only Rs 0.29 crore being actually used.

Furthermore, the CAG report raises concerns over the survival of the saplings planted as part of the mission. While the SFDA claimed survival rates of up to 96 percent, the audit found actual survival rates to be as low as 8.42 percent. Many saplings were destroyed by cattle belonging to tribal residents of nearby villages, and work to protect them could not be carried out due to delayed fund releases.

Additionally, soil moisture conservation, a crucial aspect of the mission, was not implemented at all 35 sites, leading to a 100 percent shortfall.