Understanding CAMPA: India’s Mechanism for Forest Restoration

 Understanding CAMPA: India’s Mechanism for Forest Restoration

Introduction 1

Background 1

The funds collected are used for: 1

State-wise Afforestation Under CAMPA (FY 2020–21 to 2024–25) 2

Legal and Administrative Responsibility 5

Official Statement 5

Key Challenges 5

Way Forward 6

Introduction

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) plays a crucial role in India’s efforts to restore forests and maintain ecological balance amidst rapid infrastructure development and land use changes. Established under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, CAMPA ensures that when forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes, appropriate compensatory afforestation and environmental restoration efforts are undertaken.

Background

The CAF Act, 2016 provides for the establishment of funds under the Public Account of India and Public Accounts of each State for the deposit of compensatory levies received from user agencies. These levies are imposed when forest land is diverted for non-forest use, as per the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 (formerly Forest Conservation Act, 1980).

The funds collected are used for:

• Compensatory Afforestation (CA)
  
  

• Additional and Penal CA
  
  

• Net Present Value (NPV) of forest loss
  
  

• Catchment area treatment
  
  

• Wildlife protection and management
  
  

• Forest infrastructure, training, and capacity building
  
  

Fund utilization is governed by the CAF Rules, 2018 and overseen by the National and State CAMPA Authorities.

State-wise Afforestation Under CAMPA (FY 2020–21 to 2024–25)

The following table presents a detailed breakdown of compensatory afforestation achieved in the last five years using CAMPA funds:

S.No.	State/UT	Area Afforested (in Hectares)
1	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	264.06
2	Andhra Pradesh	5,477.56
3	Arunachal Pradesh	41,438.92
4	Assam	2,299.28
5	Bihar	6,154.27
6	Chandigarh	1.94
7	Chhattisgarh	12,477.20
8	Delhi	359.92
9	Goa	2,378.00
10	Gujarat	25,359.36
11	Haryana	9,732.05
12	Himachal Pradesh	7,621.00
13	Jammu & Kashmir	11,908.58
14	Jharkhand	27,791.29
15	Karnataka	4,907.36
16	Kerala	343.60
17	Ladakh	21,746.82
18	Madhya Pradesh	20,553.94
19	Maharashtra	2,245.52
20	Manipur	781.50
21	Meghalaya	2,684.80
22	Mizoram	2,570.24
23	Odisha	30,529.95
24	Punjab	6,717.47
25	Rajasthan	12,143.71
26	Sikkim	1,047.40
27	Tamil Nadu	167.33
28	Telangana	22,958.63
29	Tripura	4,106.14
30	Uttar Pradesh	10,998.45
31	Uttarakhand	21,023.07
32	West Bengal	1,398.79

Legal and Administrative Responsibility

• Land and forest governance falls under the State Government as per the Constitution.
  
  

• States are responsible for maintaining legal forest boundaries and taking protective action against encroachments, deforestation, and violations of the forest laws.
  
  

• Violations of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 are addressed case-by-case under Sections 3A and 3B, and the Consolidated Guidelines (para 1.16) issued on 29.12.2023.
  
  

Official Statement

This data was presented in a written reply by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, in the Rajya Sabha on August 2, 2025.

Key Challenges

Despite this progress, several issues continue to hinder the effectiveness of CAMPA:

• Under-utilization of available funds in several states
  
  

• Poor quality of plantations and survival rates
  
  

• Allegations of corruption and misappropriation in fund usage
  
  

• Monoculture plantations replacing native biodiversity
  
  

Way Forward

For CAMPA to fulfill its ecological goals, there’s a need for:

• Transparent fund utilization
  
  

• Biodiversity-centric, region-specific afforestation
  
  

• Real-time public monitoring
  
  

• Stronger community and tribal participation
  
  

• Regular independent audits and better inter-agency coordination