GREEN Meghalaya Plus Scheme Unveiled by CM in Tura

Conrad K Sangma, Meghalaya Chief Minister launched the GREEN (Grassroot level Response Towards Ecosystem Enhancement and Nurturing) Meghalaya Plus (GMP) Scheme in the first week of October in the state. The main purpose for the launching of the scheme is for conservation and enhancement of forest cover.

Details of the scheme

Objective

• The scheme focuses on expanding forest conservation across the state by offering monetary rewards for protecting forested areas.
• The GREEN Meghalaya Plus scheme, based on the principle of Payment for Ecosystem (PES), which supports villages, communities, clans, or individuals that commit to conserve and protect natural forests for a minimum period of 30 years.

Background

• The GREEN Meghalaya Plus initiative is part of the state government’s Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program, which was launched in 2022.
• GREEN Meghalaya Plus aims to expand forest conservation by an additional 50,000 hectares (500 sq km). 
• Over the years, more than 3,000 individuals and communities have benefited from the scheme, conserving over 54,000 hectares of natural forest.

Changes in PES 2.0

• The earlier scheme required a minimum of 2 hectares of forest, the new guidelines now reduce this to just 1 hectare.
• Which allows smaller landowners and communities to utilize the benefits of the scheme.
• This ensures that the benefits of the scheme are more widely distributed and that more people can contribute to the conservation of our forest heritage. 
• Under Green Meghalaya plus, the annual reward per hectare increases from ₹15,000 per hectare to ₹ 20,000 per hectare.
• The base rate of compensation has been increased from ₹ 8000 per hectare to ₹ 10,000 per hectare per year to encourage wider uptake of the scheme.

CM Remarks

• It is beneficial for the people, the society, and the world that the PES programme should be taken up at the national and the international scale. 
• It is the need of the hour. 
• Let us protect the forests before it is destroyed, not rebuild them after it is destroyed.
• It is not only about the environment that we are talking about here. 
• Protection of the forests is very important for us even from the finance commission point of view. During the horizontal devolution of the tax that takes place , which is what the finance commission does.
• The forest cover plays the most important role in terms of the percentage of taxes we get from the direct tax collection that the government of India does. 
• Also, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the beneficiaries from across Garo Hills, who attended the programme to celebrate the collective effort of conservation.

Budget

• In the last two years, the state government has spent over Rs 44 crore on conservation of forest cover.
• And going forward with over Rs 200 crore being earmarked for conservation efforts.

What is PES?

Launched Year : 2022

• This scheme provides benefits through financial support of Rs. 8000 per hectare per year for five years.
• In addition, an additional reward amount of Rs. 5000 per hectare per year will also be given to those natural forests already registered as community reserves with the Forest Department.
• An amount of Rs 2000 per hectare per year will be given to those with very dense forests or traditionally recognized as sacred grove or has a living root bridge or located in eco-sensitive zones around protected areas like national parks, wildlife sanctuary or wildlife corridors. 
• If the forests are not yet registered, the applicant may apply for registration with the forest department and a copy of receipt may be submitted while applying for the PES scheme.

General Info

Community Reserve Forest

• Any community or private land may be designated by the State Government as a Community Reserve provided the inhabitants of that community or the person concerned consent to provide such areas for the preservation of the local flora and fauna as well as their customs, cultures, and practices.
• The creation of such a place attempts to preserve biodiversity while simultaneously enhancing the socioeconomic circumstances of the local population.
• Managed By : A community reserve management committee.
• The State Government may designate the area as community land by notification if a community or a single person has offered to volunteer to conserve wildlife and its habitat.