PANJIM: With no compensatory afforestation (CA) or penal compensatory afforestation (PCA) towards tree loss since 2009, the National Authority of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has directed Goa Government to complete the backlog of 1650 hectare of plantation by March 31, 2023.
State that lacks on availability of degraded land to take up CA or PCA, has begun the process to identify the suitable land, as the Centre, is also not very keen to allow, CA in other State like Madhya Pradesh, where Goa has proposed to take up 300 hectare of plantation.
The CAMPA authority on October 29 held a meeting to review the works undertaken by the States through CAMPA and it was observed that Goa has only carried out 53.9 per cent of total 3,541 ha of CA and PCA target.
A total of 1,630 ha of backlog were highlighted by the State during the meeting; while assuring that the same would be completed by 2023-24. The State plans to clear the backlog by planting across 500 ha in 2021-22 and another 565 ha each in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Sources informed that process has begun to identify the land bank to undertake plantation on a larger scale. “We had proposed to take up 300 ha of plantation in Madhya Pradesh,” said the source.
