Green India Mission Restores Over 1.84 Lakh Hectares Across 18 States and UTs Since 2015

India has brought more than 1.84 lakh hectares of degraded forest and non-forest land under eco-restoration through the Green India Mission since 2015-16, as the Centre continues to expand plantation, landscape restoration and community-based conservation programmes across the country.

According to data presented in the Lok Sabha, the Green India Mission has covered 1,84,467 hectares across 17 States and one Union Territory. The programme is one of the nine missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change and is designed to restore degraded landscapes through an integrated approach combining afforestation, ecological regeneration, community participation and long-term monitoring.

Among the participating States, Madhya Pradesh has recorded the largest area under plantation and eco-restoration at 32,831 hectares, followed by Chhattisgarh with 22,601 hectares, Odisha with 20,711 hectares, Mizoram with 19,643 hectares and Manipur with 17,488 hectares.

Uttarakhand has brought 14,836 hectares under restoration, while Kerala has covered 14,290 hectares. Punjab has recorded 7,168 hectares, Sikkim 6,567 hectares, Arunachal Pradesh 5,314 hectares and Maharashtra 5,223 hectares under plantation and eco-restoration activities.

Other States have also contributed to the programme, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for 4,202 hectares, Haryana 3,755 hectares, Karnataka 2,722 hectares, West Bengal 2,606 hectares, Jammu and Kashmir 1,778 hectares, Andhra Pradesh 1,433 hectares and Himachal Pradesh 1,299 hectares.

The Green India Mission differs from conventional plantation programmes in that it seeks to work at the landscape level rather than viewing afforestation as an isolated activity. Its objective is to restore ecological functions in degraded forests and adjoining landscapes while also supporting communities whose livelihoods are linked to forest resources.

Implementation of plantation and maintenance activities is carried out with the involvement of local institutions such as Joint Forest Management Committees, Village Forest Committees and other community-based organisations. Self-Help Groups and local residents are also engaged where provided for under approved plans, particularly in activities such as nursery raising, plantation maintenance and livelihood support.

The government has also established a multi-layered monitoring system to track the progress and survival of plantations. Technology-enabled tools such as geo-tagging, GIS-based mapping, geo-tagged photographs and KML files are being used to document plantation sites and improve accountability.

State Forest Departments undertake periodic field inspections and may also conduct third-party monitoring. Where survival rates are found to be inadequate, corrective measures such as gap filling, replanting and additional maintenance can be undertaken based on field assessments.

Drone-based monitoring can also be used by States as a supplementary tool for verifying plantation activity. At the national level, the Forest Survey of India conducts biennial assessments of forest cover using remote sensing supported by ground verification and publishes the results through the India State of Forest Report.

Alongside the Green India Mission, the Centre is implementing the Nagar Van Yojana, which seeks to develop 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatikas between 2020-21 and 2026-27.

The urban forestry programme is intended to increase green cover in and around cities while creating ecological assets capable of improving air quality, moderating local temperatures and contributing to better urban micro-climates. Such urban green spaces are also expected to provide recreational and biodiversity benefits in increasingly densely populated areas.

During the current financial year, the Centre has so far allocated ₹57.08 crore under the Green India Mission for 2026-27 to seven States — Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh — for approved activities.

Funding for the Nagar Van Yojana is released through the National Authority CAMPA based on approved proposals submitted by States for plantation and associated activities.

The figures underline the growing scale of India’s landscape restoration effort, with some of the largest interventions taking place in central, eastern and northeastern States where significant forest-dependent populations and ecologically sensitive landscapes are located.

The continued expansion of such programmes is expected to support India’s wider objectives relating to forest restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and carbon sequestration. Their effectiveness, however, will depend not only on the number of hectares brought under plantation but also on the long-term survival of vegetation, ecological quality of restored landscapes and continued participation of local communities.

The information was provided by Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on August 10, 2026.

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