Shimla: A recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed significant irregularities in the plantation initiatives undertaken by the Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh. The audit indicates that extensive afforestation efforts were inaccurately reported in regions already densely forested, raising concerns about the legitimacy of these initiatives and suggesting potential misuse of public funds.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the CAG report in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday. This report spans from 2006 to March 2021 and includes audits related to the enforcement of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, during the period from April 2016 to March 2021.

The CAG's findings revealed that 47% of the claimed plantation activities by the Forest Department occurred in areas already designated as dense forests, where such efforts were unnecessary. Furthermore, 83% of the afforestation was executed outside of open or degraded forest land, undermining the primary goal of enhancing forest cover.

In a notable instance of oversight, plantation activities linked to the Bajoli Holi Hydropower Project were relocated without adequate site evaluations. The department also neglected to account for cost increases in hydropower projects and failed to demand an additional Rs 198.73 crore from user agencies.

Additionally, none of the three major hydropower projects reviewed had established watershed management plans, which are essential for environmental compliance.

One of the most alarming findings in the report is the inaccurate representation of plantation locations. The CAG discovered that KML files uploaded to the e-Green Watch portal, designed for real-time monitoring of compensatory afforestation, incorrectly identified plantation sites in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Haryana instead of Himachal Pradesh.

For example, in 2020, the compensatory afforestation file for the Tanara Bridge-Panvi Road in Seraj was mistakenly recorded as a site in Chhattisgarh’s Batoili. Similar errors were noted in various projects in Kullu, where Himachal sites were misattributed to Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The CAG has put forth several recommendations:
• Conduct an immediate investigation into the misuse of funds and take action against those responsible.
• Expedite pending cases under the Forest Conservation Act.
• Ensure accurate and verified data uploads on the e-Green Watch portal.
• Establish a centralized land bank and database for hydropower projects.

Environmental experts assert that these findings highlight systemic failures. With increasing concerns regarding ecological degradation and climate resilience, the report serves as a crucial reminder that accountability in environmental initiatives is as vital as in infrastructure or welfare programs.