Context: Green India Mission Implementation
The Comptroller and Auditor General has highlighted major gaps in the implementation of the Green India Mission, including severe shortfalls in forest-cover targets, inadequate funding, weak convergence and poor monitoring.
1. Green India Mission
Launched in 2014 as one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Focuses on protecting, restoring and enhancing forest/tree cover, biodiversity, water security, carbon sequestration and forest-based livelihoods.
Supports India’s target of creating an additional 2.5–3 billion tonnes CO₂-equivalent carbon sink by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover.
2. CAG Findings — The Implementation Gap
Forest-cover quality:
Target — 1.4 million hectares
Achievement — 0.11384 million hectares
→ 91.87% shortfall
Increase in forest cover:
Target — 1.4 million hectares
Achievement — 0.03409 million hectares
→ 97.57% shortfall
Funding:
Against proposed support of ₹10,600 crore, only ₹1,149.14 crore was received through budgetary support during the audited period.
Weak convergence:
Limited coordination with CAMPA, MGNREGS, Nagar Van Yojana and School Nursery Yojana.
3. Why Implementation Fell Short
Planning deficiencies: Weak prioritisation of vulnerable landscapes and inadequate bottom-up planning.
Monitoring gaps: Poor verification and reporting of outcomes weakened accountability.
Financial-control weaknesses: Several States and Union Territories had deficiencies in maintaining and auditing accounts.
Outcome deficit: Focus on activities and targets did not adequately translate into measurable ecological improvement.
4. Way Forward
Shift from “trees planted” to “trees surviving and ecosystems restored” through outcome-based monitoring.
Strengthen convergence with CAMPA, MGNREGS and other afforestation or urban greening programmes.
Use GIS, satellite imagery, geo-tagging and independent field verification to measure actual ecological outcomes.
Ensure predictable funding and stronger financial accountability.
Empower Gram Sabhas and forest-dependent communities through participatory forest restoration and livelihood programmes.
