CAG Reports Major Shortfalls in Green India Mission's Forest Cover Targets
The Green India Mission achieved only 0.03409 million hectares of forest cover increase against a 1.4 million hectares goal, marking a 97.57% shortfall. Poor planning, lack of coordination, and insufficient funding are highlighted as primary reasons for this failure.
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The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) identified significant shortcomings in the Green India Mission, which aimed to enhance forest cover and ecosystem services across 16 states and Union Territories from 2015-16 to 2024-25. The mission recorded only 0.11384 million hectares of forest quality improvement against a target of 1.4 million hectares, and a mere 0.03409 million hectares of increased forest cover.
Financially, only Rs 1,149.14 crore was received out of an approved Rs 2,000 crore budget. Weak coordination with other afforestation initiatives and a lack of timely Annual Plans of Operation contributed to these deficiencies.
The audit also noted that only Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assessed carbon sequestration, and poor site selection undermined climate resilience efforts. Without a strategic overhaul, the mission risks further underperformance.
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