Bhubaneswar: The number of forest fire incidents increased by 208 per cent during the period from 2019 to 2021, though huge funds were pumped in for the management and protection of forests under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The CAG report tabled in the Assembly recently said the number of forest fire incidents increased by 208 per cent during the period from 2019 to 2021. Similarly, the extent of forest area damage went northward by 300 per cent in 2021 in comparison with 2019, despite expenditure of Rs 58.84 crore for fire protection out of CAMPA funds.
The report also highlighted that as many as 51 elephant deaths were recorded in Athagarh and Dhenkanal for est divisions from preventable causes due to deficiency in forest foot patrolling, improper utilisation of trap cameras, and other protection measures. Conditional works under forest clearance such as elephant underpasses/overpasses, and reptile underpasses were either under progress or not undertaken by user agencies even after two to four years of Stage II approval.
The report also said out of total funds of Rs 2,284.98 crore received from CAMPA, the state CAMPA could utilise Rs 2074.44 crore between 2019 and 2022.
Further, the annual accounts of state CAMPA could not be finalised since inception- from 2009 to 2022. Moreover, Rs 56.82 crore was irregularly utilised out-of-state CAMPA funds for various construction works. The CAG report said that an amount of Rs 248.06 crore was diverted from CAMPA funds to Ama Jangala Yojana. The CAG said that in nine cases of diversion of forest land for which Stage-II/final approval was pending for more than five years, the Forest Department did not realise a net present value (NPV) of Rs 88.40 crore at the revised rate.
Further, the Monitoring and Evaluation wing of the state Forest Department did not plan or undertake any monitoring or evaluation activities during 2019-22. The auditor also said that the state CAMPA which was constituted to accelerate the activities for compensatory afforestation and their management was constituted in the state with a delay of nine years from the date of notification of CAMPA guidelines by the Union government. There was a shortfall in the achievement of the compensatory afforestation target by 6,995.97 ha for the diversion of forest land since the enactment of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 till date.
ARINDAMGANGULY, OP