COMPENSATORY AFFORESTATION FUND (CAF)

Aug. 31, 2019

In a major step towards increasing afforestation in the country, Union Minister for Environment, handed over Rs. 47,000 crore from Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) to 27 states.

About:

The funds will be utilized as per the provisions of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act and rules.
The CAF Act 2016 established an independent authority — the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority — to execute the fund.
The fund will be utilized for the compensatory afforestation, catchment area treatment, wildlife management, natural regeneration, forest fire prevention, soil and moisture conservation, improvement of wildlife habitat.
The funds have been collected as compensation from industry for razing forest land for business. Industrialists pay this money and this is eventually transferred to the States concerned to carry out afforestation.
Odisha, the top recipient of funds, got nearly ₹6,000 crore followed by Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh with ₹5,791 crore and ₹5,196 crore respectively.