Fencing to watering: 50% of plantation funds for care now in Haryana

Gurgaon: The “focus is shifting” from merely counting the number of trees planted to improving their survival rates over the long term, Haryana forest dept officials have said.Acknowledging the poor survival rate of saplings as a persistent challenge in south Haryana’s harsh ecological conditions, the department has — for the first time — approved spending up to 50% of plantation funds on protection and maintenance measures, including fencing, watering and long-term care of newly planted trees.The dept has also decided to move to a five-year maintenance model for plantations. Earlier, contracts for tending saplings were generally awarded for only one year, often resulting in neglect once the initial maintenance period ended. Under the new system, contractors will remain responsible for nurturing plantations over a longer period, including watering, protection from grazing animals, replacement of dead saplings and monitoring growth.The move comes amid growing concerns over declining forest cover and repeated criticism that annual plantation drives have failed to translate into lasting green cover because a large number of saplings do not survive beyond the initial years.Forest officials said the decision is particularly significant for south Haryana — including Gurgaon, Rewari, Nuh and Mahendragarh — where the dry conditions of the Aravalis’ deciduous forests, erratic rainfall, dry soil, grazing pressure and human disturbances make sapling survival a major challenge.Under the revised system, nearly half of the allocated plantation budget can now be utilised for protective measures such as fencing, tree guards and maintenance activities aimed at ensuring saplings reach maturity.Conservator of forest (south Haryana) Subhash Yadav told TOI, “The poor survival rate of saplings has been a longstanding concern. Large numbers of trees are planted every year, but many fail to survive due to lack of sustained care and protection. The revised policy is aimed at addressing this gap. The issue was raised that saplings can’t survive unless they are protected and finally this year it was approved.”Environmentalists said the focus on survival is crucial because plantation drives often create an impression of greening without ensuring long-term ecological gains.Environmentalist Vivek Kamboj, who is working on urban forestry issues in Gurgaon, told TOI, “Planting trees is only the first step. Unless saplings survive and grow into mature trees, plantation campaigns remain largely symbolic. Monitoring survival rates should be as important as counting the number of saplings planted.”Officials said the dept also plans to increase community participation in plantation programmes by involving local residents, village institutions and community groups in protecting newly planted saplings. “The objective is to ensure that plantations develop into stable green cover rather than remaining short-term drives. Community involvement will be critical in improving survival rates,” an official said.The policy assumes significance at a time when Gurgaon and surrounding districts have witnessed extensive felling of mature trees for infrastructure projects. Around 5,000 trees were cut in 2017 for flyovers and underpasses along NH8. In 2018, permission was granted for the felling of nearly 10,000 trees for the widening of Sohna Road. More recently, approval was given for the removal of 344 trees between sectors 27 and 43 for infrastructure works, while several highway expansion projects have also led to tree loss in Gurgaon and Rewari forest divisions.Data from Forest Survey of India (FSI) has highlighted the urgency of improving plantation outcomes. The India State of Forest Report 2023 recorded a decline of 14 sq km in Haryana’s forest cover, which fell from 1,628 sq km in 2021 to 1,614 sq km in 2023. Earlier, an FSI assessment found that Gurgaon alone lost 247 hectares of forest cover between 2019 and 2020.Gurgaon currently has tree cover of only about 12.9% of its geographical area, while the urban area has less than 1% forest cover. Greens said the figures underline the need for stricter monitoring of compensatory plantations linked to development projects and stronger compliance mechanisms for tree-felling permissions.With the state increasingly balancing infrastructure expansion with environmental concerns, forest officials hope that the emphasis on protection and five-year maintenance will help improve the success rate of plantations and strengthen green cover across the ecologically fragile Aravali landscape of south Haryana.