Programmes and Schemes to Encourage Tree Plantation in Urban Areas

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has taken various initiatives through programmes and schemes that encourages tree plantation including urban areas in the country. The scheme, Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) has been launched during the year 2020, for creation of Nagar Vans in urban areas, which promotes urban forestry by involving local communities, NGOs, educational institutions, local bodies, etc.

Besides, the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), under which, in addition to other sub-missions, there is a specific sub-mission for enhancing tree cover in urban and peri-urban areas. Urban forestry is also a permissible activity under the provisions of Compensatory Fund Act, 2016 and the Rules made thereunder. Forestry/tree plantation activities including urban forestry, being a multi-departmental, multi-agency activity, are taken up cross-sectorally under various programmes/funding sources of other ministries/ organizations and also through State Plan budgets.

The tree outside forest (ToF) refers to all trees growing outside recorded forest areas. The patches of 1 ha and above outside the recorded forest area and Tree Cover, both constitute the ToF. As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2015 published by Forest Survey of India (FSI), MoEFCC the Tree Cover is 92,572 sq. km. As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2021 the Tree Cover is 95,748 sq. km. The Forest Survey of India in ISFR, 2021 have done mapping for Forest Cover in Major Mega Cities i.e. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. The total forest cover reported in these seven major mega cities is 509.72 sq. km. Nagar Van Yojana envisages creating a Nagar Van / Nagar Vatika in each City having Municipal Corporation/Municipal council/Municipality/Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for providing wholesome healthy living environment for the residents and thus contributing to growth of clean, green, healthy and sustainable cities. The salient features of Nagar Van Yojana are:

(i) Creating green space and aesthetic environment in an urban set up.

(ii) Creating awareness about plants and biodiversity and developing environment stewardship.

(iii) Facilitating in-situ conservation of important flora of the region.

(iv)Contributing to environmental improvement of cities by pollution mitigation, providing cleaner air, noise reduction, water harvesting and reduction of heat islands effect.

(v) Extending health benefits to residents of the city and

(vi) Helping cities become climate resilient.

Under NVY, so far, 385 projects have been sanctioned in the country, since inception of the scheme in 2020.

Manhole to Machine Hole Scheme

 

Integrated Development of Small & Medium Towns (IDSMT)

The total population of the country has increased from 361 million in 1951 to 1027 million in 2001, whereas, urban population has increased from 62 million to 285 million during the same period. The number of metropolitan cities has increased from 23 in 1991 to 35 in 2001. Thus, it is, evident that there was a clear shift towards large towns, perhaps due to lack of employment opportunities and poor urban infrastructural base of the small and medium towns. The Centrally sponsored scheme of Integrated Development of Small & Medium Towns (IDSMT) was initiated in the year 1979 80 and is continued with timely amendments and modifications upto 2004-2005 and in December 2005 it was subsumed in UIDSSMT Scheme. Investment in the development of small urban centres would help in reducing migration to large cities and support the growth of surrounding rural areas as well. 

Objectives of IDSMT: 

The main objectives of IDSMT scheme are: 

> Improving infrastructural facilities and helping in the creation of durable public assets in small and medium towns. 

> Decentralizing economic growth and employment opportunities and promoting dispersed urbanization.  

> Increasing the availability of serviced sites for housing, commercial and industrial uses. 

> Integrating spatial and socio-economic planning as envisaged in the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992.  

> Promoting resource generating schemes for the urban local bodies to improve their overall financial position. 

Selection of towns: 

> IDSMT Scheme will be applicable to towns/cities with population upto 5 lakhs.  

> Towns are to be identified and prioritized by the State Governments and UTs according to their Urban Strategy within the framework of Guidelines of the Scheme.  

> The IDSMT Scheme will be applicable to only those towns where elections to the local bodies have been held and elected bodies are in position. 

Components for Funding :

> Strengthening of Master Plan road facilities including ring, arterial, bypass/link roads and small bridges, 

> Sites and services, 

> Development of bus/truck terminals, 

> Construction/upgradation of Master Plan drains including Storm water channels, 

> Solid waste management 

> Development of market complexes/shopping centers, 

> Provision of tourist facilities, 

> Development of City/Town Parks 

> Street lighting for Master Plan roads, 

> Slaughter houses, 

> Major public amenities like Gardens, Playgrounds, Marriage halls, Pay and use toilets, etc. 

> Cycle/Rickshaw stands, 

> Traffic improvement and management schemes, 

> Construction of retaining walls and slope stability measures in hill station towns, 

> Social amenities, especially for the poorer sections. 

Funding pattern:

Central assistance and State share provided under IDSMT scheme to the local bodies is in the form of grant. 

To enable the preparation of project reports under IDSMT Scheme grant-in-aid will be available to State Governments/Municipalities on 60(Central grant) : 40(state grant) basis with total cost restricted to Rs.3.00 lakh to towns with population up to 50000, Rs.4.00 lakh for towns with population between 50000 and 1 lakh, Rs.5.00 lakh for towns with population between 1 and 3 lakhs and Rs.6.00 lakhs for towns with population between 3 and 5 lakhs under the Central Urban Infrastructure Support Scheme (CUISS). 

Appraisal and processing :

The State Government/UTs have to prepare and send detailed project report in the prescribed format to the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) for scrutiny and appraisal.The State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) considers appraisal reports prepared by TCPO and recommends for release of central assistance to the Government of India.

Government schemes on Urban Planning

• Smart Cities Mission: It was launched in 2015 with the objective to develop 100 smart cities in the country, which will have an advanced infrastructure and offer a high quality of life to its residents.
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): It was launched in 2015 which focuses on improving basic urban infrastructure in cities and towns, such as water supply, sewerage, and transportation.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): This scheme was launched in 2015 with the aim of providing affordable housing to the urban poor. It has two components: PMAY-Urban for urban areas and PMAY-Gramin for rural areas.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: This is a national cleanliness campaign launched in 2014, which aims to improve sanitation and cleanliness in urban areas.
• Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY): It was launched in 2015 with focus on developing heritage cities and preserving their cultural and historical significance.
• National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM): This scheme was launched in 2013 and aims to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to the urban poor, with a focus on skill development and entrepreneurship.
• Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM): This was a flagship scheme of the government launched in 2005, which aimed to improve urban infrastructure and governance in cities.

Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme

Government of India launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) including sub-component namely Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) and Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) in December, 2005 for a period of 7 years i.e., upto 31stMarch, 2012. The UIDSSMT and UIG component was for infrastructure development with Central Assistance (CA) in small and medium towns of the States/Union Territories (UTs), whereas UIG component   was    for   infrastructure    development   with   central assistance in large Cities. The JNNURM was extended for a period of two years i.e., upto 31st March, 2014.  All the projects of UIDSSMT and UIG components of JNNURM in which 50% or more of the CA had been released and physical progress was 50% or more as on 31stMarch, 2014 or were sanctioned during the Transition Phase (1stApril, 2012 to 31stMarch, 2014) of the Mission, were approved for funding under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) upto 31stMarch, 2017. After closure of the Mission, all the projects were handed over to the States/UTs.

AMRUT was launched on 25thJune 2015 with focus on the development of basic urban infrastructure in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, non-motorised urban transport and development of green spaces and parks in 500 selected cities across the country. Further, AMRUT Mission as such is not mandated to eradicate slums in the country. However, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)has In-Situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) as one of its four components under which slum rehabilitation can be taken up using land as a resource.

Development of urban infrastructure is a State subject. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the States / Union Territories (UTs) to frame policies and implement scheme for improving the quality of life for all including the poor and the disadvantaged people residing in its cities. However, Government of India, through various programmatic interventions, assists the States/UTs in their effort to provide basic amenities required to improve quality of life, such as shelter, water supply, sewage and toilets facilities to urban population. Such programmes, which are under implementation at present, are - Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U).

SWAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme is a Central Sector scheme launched on National Panchayat Day i.e. 24th April 2020 aimed at “providing ‘record of rights’ to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited rural areas in villages and issuance of property cards to the property owners.

Nodal Ministry: 

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of the scheme. 

• In the States, the Revenue Department / Land Records Department is the Nodal Department which will implement the scheme with support of State Panchayati Raj Department. 

• Survey of India shall work as the technology partner for implementation.

Objective of the scheme: 

The scheme aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India. 

• It envisages demarcating “rural abadi areas’ by using Drone Surveying technology. 

• The project aims for creation of survey infrastructure and GIS maps that can be leveraged by any department for their use. 

• It aims to support in preparation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) by making use of GIS maps.

Generation of Property Cards: 

The multi-stage process of generating a property card begins with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Survey of India (SoI) and respective state governments. 

Once the MOU is done, a Continuously Operating Reference System (CORS) is established which provides a virtual base station that allows access to long-range highaccuracy Network RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) corrections.

Significance of the Scheme: 

• Monetization of the Property: The scheme would enable them to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits from Bank. 

• Improved Centre-State Collaboration: The model has a structure where the centre takes the responsibility of being the nodal authority and then functions after consultation with the revenue departments of the state governments taking the help of the state panchayati raj depts. 

• Increasing revenue to state government: By determination of property tax with the help of GPS directly in States will add to the State exchequer. 

• Efficient planning in rural areas: Mapping of rural areas will provide enough material to rural planners to plan infrastructure development in those regions.

 • Further, land entitlements to original owners will help in rapid acquisition of land for public infrastructure development. 

• Reduces dispute related to land titles: Currently, a large number pending cases in different level of courts across country is related to land titles. 

• Ownership certificates to owners of land will reduce such cases and thus burden on courts will automatically reduce.

Challenges in the Scheme Implementation: 

• Access to Data: To what extent the data collected will be shared with various layers of government and state departments. 

• To what extent the data will be monetised or should be monetised. 

• The private sector companies that are offering the drones for surveillance and data collection, will the data be shared with these companies too or not.

Data Protection: India, still as a country is far away from having a proper fool-proof data protection laws and without such law in place, collection of data and its misuse will always remain a challenge for such an ambitious scheme. 

Bringing Maximum Villages under Surveillance within Projected Time: Issues with bringing the villages under surveillance is a challenge as the pace of bringing villages under coverage cannot be pushed to increase after a certain point.

SWAMITVA scheme is a path breaking scheme which has the ability to tame multiple discrepancies simultaneously. 

It will on the one hand sort out issues pertaining to land acquisition and title rights while on the other hand will sort problems in judiciary due to pendency of large number of cases.