This refers to the editorial, “Greening India” (February 14). The one per cent rise in India's forest and tree cover, although marginal, now covers 24.39 per cent (falling short of the 33 per cent target) of the total geographical area of the country. It is important to ensure that the right kind of trees are planted. There is no use of planting non-native and invasive trees like teak and eucalyptus and still claim to have increased the forest cover, while the intention is to harvest and sell timber from them. Native trees like peepal, neem and banyan, which are known for giving plentiful oxygen and purifying the atmosphere, are the ones that ought to be planted. Sincere public participation is also essential.
Bhutan offers a valuable lesson in how to gain out of enhancing forest cover. By Constitutionally maintaining a minimum forest cover of 60 per cent of the total land area and banning timber-logging, the country, from the resultant generation of oxygen, has been able to outweigh it's carbon dioxide emissions, thus becoming the world's first carbon-negative country. An increasingly urbanising and economically growing India, that is claiming more and more forest areas (for instance, Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh) for development purposes, should emulate Bhutan. In fact, the 14th Finance Commission has added the maintenance of forest cover as the new devolution criterion or incentive for funds to States.