Green India Mission

The National Mission for a Green India, with an investment of $10.3 billion over the next 10 years, holds a lot of promise for increasing forest cover and improving existing forest cover. Significantly, it also hopes to correct the historical imbalance in the Joint Forest Management (JFM) practices of the past, where local communities were alienated. Livelihood of forest dwelling communities is expected to be improved, while pressure on extraction from core areas is expected to be relieved. Around 3 million households are expected to get higher forest based income. Forest restoration and improvement is also a central part of the plan. Several conservation groves, steered by young scientists looking to introduce endemic plants, often sit close to plantations and habitations and shelter many endangered animals and birds. Local communities can be empowered to help control invasive plant species that have been planted inadvertently in the past.