CHAPTER III

APPRAISAL OF PERFORMANCE OF MAJOR PROGRAMMFS

A. INTEGRATED AFFORESTATION & ECO-DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SCHEME.

This is a 100% Central Sector/Centrally Sponsored Scheme which was initiated during 1989-90 i.e. the last year of VII Plan. The Scheme is multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary in nature. The Scheme envisages integration of resources, institutions and implementation agencies for afforestation and eco-restoration of degraded forest areas and adjoining areas with specific objectives:

The physical and financial progress under the scheme from its initiation is as under :-

(Fin. Rs. In crores)

Year

Approved outlay

Released

(Phy. in ha.) Achievement

1989-90

6.00

7.84

4442

1990-91

23.84

25.54

27653

1991-92

45.00

47.53

47491

1992-93

33.00

32.62

56988

1993-94

46.00

42.97

60691

1994-95

48.00

37.29

60000
   

(upto 31.1.1995)

(Target)

111 projects have been sanctioned during the 8th Five Year Plan 80 far with the total outlay of Rs. 214.46 crores. Theee projects are spread all over the country. Of these, four project have been completed 80 far. Ten projects under the scheme have been evaluated by Voluntary Organisations/Retired Foreets officers. The outcome of the evaluation shows that the benefite of the projects will be :

Quantifiable- benefits:

  1. Eco-development, soil and moisture conservation and afforestation of degraded forest lands.

  2. Augmentation of fuelwood and fodder supply in the selected watershed.

  3. Employment generation.

  4. People’s participation.

Intanaible bensfits:

Soil and moisture conservation leading to improvement of the moisture status of site and surroundings.

B. AREA ORIENTED FUELWOOD AND FODDER PROJECTS SCHEME

This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which was initiated during 1989-90 as a 50% Centrally assisted scheme. The Principal objective of the scheme is-to promote integrated development of identified watersheds by activities like tree planting, Agro-Forestry, Silvipasture Development, Horticulture and Soil and moisture conservation so as to check land degradation and to augment production of fuelwood fodder and forest produce specially from community and degraded forest lands and also to promote fuelwood conservation and substitution with active involvement of the village community/local people.

The physical and financial performance under the scheme is as under:

(Fin. Rs. in crores)

Year

Approved outlay

Released

(Phy. in ha.) Achievements

1988-89

0.5

0.12

Nil

1989-90

0.50

0.50

1200

1990-91

22.00

20.47

83771

1991-92

36.35

34.01

79349

1992-93

23.15

23.51

82227

1993-94

30.10

30.57

78000

1994-95

34.00

23.94

68000
   

Upto 31.1.1995

(Target)

23 States have been assisted upto 1993-94 during the Eighth Five Year Plan with the total amount of Central assistance of Rs. 54.07 crores. Five projects in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been evaluated under the Scheme by the Indian Institute of Public Opinion and evaluation in another 5 states is being conducted. The outcome of the evaluation shows that the benefits of the projects are as follows:

Quantifiable benefite:

  1. The Production of fuelwood and fodder when the plantations mature.

  2. Production of fodder.

  3. A large number of mandays generated for employment by the implementation of the projects as all the activities of the projects are labour intensive and about 70* of the expenditure is on labour only.

Intangible benefits:

Reduced pressure on natural forests due to creation of man made plantations of fuelwood and fodder.

GANGA ACTION PLAN (GAP)

PHASE I

The Ganga Action Plan was launched in 1986. This was to improve the water quality of river Ganga to the bathing standards, using a multi-pronged strategy. It was to be financed with Central assistance as 100 percent grant-in-aid. The Action Plan envisaged interception and diversion of-waste water reaching the Ganga and installation of Sewage Treatment plants for its treatment. It also included other pollution control activities such as solid waste management, installation of crematoria, river front development and provisions of low cost sanitation facilities. The Plan laid emphasis on public awareness and participation to keep the Ganga clean.

An apex body, namely Central Ganga Authority, was set up under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to oversee the implementation of Programme and to cootdinate the efforts of the various agencies involved at the Central and State levels. A Steering Committee under the chairmanship of’Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests was constituted to consider the approval of schemes, annual allocation of funds and review of progress of implementation of schemes. A Monitoring Committe was also constituted to monitor progress of implementation of schemes. Ganga Project Directorate was set up as a part of the Ministry of Environment & Forests to service the Steering Committee, the Monitoring Committee and the Central Ganga Authority and to help coordinate the implementation of Ganga Plan.

Under the Ganga Action Plan Phase I, a total of around 261 schemes have been sanctioned of which 237 schemes have been completed. Against the revised cost of Rs.468 crores of GAP Phase I, an expenditure of Rs.385.86 crores as on 1.9.94 has been incurred.

By and large, the progress of the Ganga Action Plan has been as per its time schedule. However, there have been some delays in respect of some schemes particularly, sewage treatment plants and pumping stations due to problem of land acquisitiont dourt cases, poor response tenderers, adverse law and order situation as a result the schemes have sufferred cost esclations.

Interim Evaluation of Ganga Action Plan

At the instance of Planning Commission, an interim evaluation of GAP Phase I was undertaken involving four independent Agencies viz. Roorkee University, Allahabad University, Jadavpur University and Patna University.

The evaluation revealed that the Programme has been well received. The quality of water has improved discernabaly where the schemes have been commissioned. The study, however, suggested that in order to properly operate and maintain the assets created under GAP Phase I, the State Governments should take effective measures like provision of funds, uninterrupted power supply to main pumping stations and sewage treatment plants and educating the masses for better utilisation of low cost sanitation facilities and crematoria constructed under the Plan. It also suggested that wherever feasible, anaerobic treatment technologies should be preferred over aerobic technologies as the latter is energy efficient.

All these suggestions have been taken note of while formulating GAP Phase II and National River Action Plan.