GREEN IDEA NEEDS GOOD BLUEPRINT
A Green Cess Will Help If Forests Actually Get The Benefit, Say Experts & Mumbaikars
Mumbai: Maharashtras plans of taking the lead and becoming the first state in the country to introduce a green cess to boost forest cover appears to be going down well with Mumbaikars, but they warn that the devil lies in the details. The cess is part of the State Forest Policy, which aims at boosting forest cover in the state from 20.13% of total land to 33%.
Additional chief secretary J P Dange said on Friday that the policy has been approved in principle. The exact details of the implementation of the policy are going to be chalked out carefully. The policy has just got the initial nod. We will now begin the process of working out the details and the rates of the cess, said Dange.
On Thursday, the state cabinet sanctioned the policy, which aims to increase the states forest cover to a minimum of 33% of land, or 101.54 lakh hectares. Implementing the policy would require Rs 4,000 crore, with an estimated Rs 1,300 crore needed annually. With a budgetary allocation of Rs 300 crore a year already in place, the shortfall of Rs 1,000 crore is expected to be covered by the cess.
A 2% green cess would be levied on the BMC and other civic bodies as well as industries that procure water from reservoirs in forest areas. The BMC draws around 3,450 million litres a day (mld) from, among other resources, the Modaksagar, Tansa and Bhatsa reservoirs, at a cost of Rs 36 crore a year.
In addition, state forest minister Babanrao Pachpute said that he was considering charging each car owner Rs 100 a year. There are 1.25 crore vehicles in Maharashtra. If we levy Rs 100 on every car, it would help raise Rs 125 crore, he said.
State officials said they are still working out the finer points of how the money would be used to gain more forest lands.
Environmentalist Sunjoy Monga said a rational understanding of the plan was needed before praising it. I welcome this move, provided that there is an assurance that the huge funds collected are used for the right purpose. The key is implementation. As of now, the plan seems very ambiguous, said Monga, adding that a cess should be specifically levied on liquor and tobacco.
Nitin Dossa, executive chairman of the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), said that he was happy that the state was taking the lead in protecting forests. I dont think any car owner would mind paying a meagre Rs 100 a year. But the question is why must only car owners pay. Even car manufacturers should be made to dig into their pockets, said Dossa.
Car owner V Desai, a resident of C P Tank, said he hopes the funds will ultimately be used to boost and maintain forests. Another car owner, Jayesh Motwani, said, They will levy this cess, we will pay out of our pockets and some corrupt official will siphon away the funds. The system is not transparent and thats why we have reason to doubt it.
Industries have not yet opposed the cess, but are waiting for the specifics to be worked out. Praveen Kumar, senior manager, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, said the move was a step in the right direction, but implementation was crucial. Any step taken to preserve the environment is good, but the process of implementation should be transparent. Its easy to recover the cess from the public and institutions, but there should be accountability in the spending, he said.
Meanwhile, the BMC, too, is waiting for details. We have not received the state circular as yet, so we still dont know the details and the fine print. If its a small amount, we dont have a problem paying it, but if its a big amount, we will have to think of alternatives. However, water is something we wont compromise on. If the funds help the forest department to develop forests, and if that, in turn, benefits the water supply, we dont mind, said municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak.
NURTURE NATURE
NURTURE NATURE
* Maharashtra has 20.13% forest cover, less than the national average of 23.41%
* The state is the sixth after Mizoram, Assam, Orissa, MP and Chhatisgarh to come up with a State Forest Policy following the national forest commissions recommendation in 2006
* As part of the policy, Maharashtra is plannning on becoming the first state in the country to levy a green tax to encourage forest development
* The policy aims at raising forest cover in the state to a minimum of 33% (101.54 lakh hectares) of total land, as per the recommendations of the Planning Commission and the National Forest Policy, 1988
* While Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra have a forest cover of 56% and 39%, respectively, in Marathwada it is a meagre 5%
* The implementation of the policy would need Rs 4,000 crore over three years, with an estimated Rs 1,300 crore needed per year.
* A budget of Rs 300 crore a year is already in place
* The rest of the money is expected to be recovered in several ways. Vehicles could be taxed at the rate of Rs 100 a year, and a 2% cess can be placed on civic bodies and industries that draw forest water
* The implementation will be the responsibility of a committee headed by the principal forest conservator
RECORDED FOREST AREA
Reserved forest 49,217 sq km
Protected forest 8,196 sq km
Unclassed forest 4,526 sq km