VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh utilised about Rs 358.44 crore, only a 50.9 per cent of the Rs 704.44 crore approved under the Annual Plan of Operation (APO) of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) between 2022-23 and 2024-25.
In 2022-23, the approved APO for AP stood at Rs 224.09 crore, of which the State Forest Department utilised a mere Rs 82.51 crore. In 2023-24, the approved allocation was Rs 226.75 crore, while the utilisation increased to Rs 146 crore. For 2024-25, the approved APO was Rs 253.6 crore, and the utilisation reported so far is Rs 129.93 crore.
CAMPA funds are used for activities aimed at improving and restoring forest ecosystems. These include compensatory afforestation, assisted natural regeneration, protection of forests, restoration of degraded forest areas, improvement of wildlife habitats, and development of forest-related infrastructure.
States and Union Territories submit their annual plans to the National CAMPA for approval before undertaking these activities.
Data presented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on compensatory afforestation shows variation in the achievement of targets during the three-year period. In 2022-23, the set target was 2,276.75 hectares, while afforestation was carried out on 708.54 hectares. In 2023-24, the target was 1,827.75 hectares, with 311.12 hectares achieved. In 2024-25, the target was 1,466.84 hectares, and the achievement reached 1,454.22 hectares.
The survival rate of plantations in the State has improved during the same period. The survival rate was 88 per cent in 2022-23, 90 per cent in 2023-24, and 93 per cent in 2024-25, according to the data.
The information was provided in the context of national programmes related to climate adaptation and forest restoration, including initiatives supported under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
The fund, established in 2015, supports adaptation projects in States and UTs vulnerable to climate change impacts, with NABARD acting as the National Implementing Entity.