PANAJI
In a move that could strengthen the State Forest Department's eco-tourism conservation efforts, the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has allowed States and Union Territories to utilise CAMPA funds for ecological restoration of degraded eco-tourism destinations.
However, the Centre has clarified that the funds cannot be used for creating tourism infrastructure and will be restricted to plantation, afforestation and ecological restoration activities.
The decision follows inter-ministerial consultations on environmental action points, during which the proposal to utilise CAMPA funds for greening tourism sites with sparse vegetation and high visitor footfalls was deliberated. Subsequently, the CAMPA Executive Committee, at its meeting last month, directed that guidelines be issued enabling States and UTs to utilise the Net Present Value (NPV) funds available under CAMPA for plantation and afforestation around such sites.
The move is expected to benefit Goa, where several eco-tourism destinations, including waterfalls, forest trails, wildlife sanctuaries and trekking routes witness heavy tourist footfalls, particularly during the monsoon season. Besides eco-tourism sites located within protected areas, the Forest Department promotes destinations such as the Cumbharjua Canal, Mayem Lake, Satpal Arboretum, Arvalem Caves and Carambolim Lake. The Goa Forest Development Corporation also manages popular attractions, including waterfalls and forest cottages.
"Continuous tourist activity has resulted in degradation of landscapes around many such destinations due to trampling, soil erosion, loss of vegetation and other anthropogenic pressures," a senior official said.
Under the proposed guidelines, an official said that the CAMPA funds can be utilised for plantation and ecological restoration in degraded forest and non-forest areas surrounding eco-tourism sites. “The initiative aims to restore degraded landscapes, improve green cover, stabilise soil and moisture regimes, enhance biodiversity, and improve the overall environmental quality as well as the visitor experience,” official said, adding that the authority has made it clear that funds cannot be diverted for the creation of tourism infrastructure, limiting their use strictly to ecological restoration and afforestation activities.
Officials said the guidelines, to be issued under Rule 5(2) of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Rules, 2018, will lay down criteria for identifying eligible eco-tourism sites, prioritising degraded landscapes, promoting restoration using native species, and ensuring monitoring through geo-referenced documentation.
