Promoting Agroforestry in India: Policy Analysis for Felling and Transit of Woods Grown in Private Lands

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the ongoing developments in promoting agroforestry and or farm forestry by various State Governments in India through legislations and or creating enabling ecosystems for farmers, landowners and business community to raise tree species. The Government of India’s orders, guidelines, and policies related to the promotion of agroforestry and or farm forestry were analysed, especially with respect to the plants exempted from requirement of felling permission and or transit pass across eight selected States of India. A total of 159 such plant species distributed over 119 genera and 51 families either exempted from the requirement of felling and or transit pass permissions are notified by the selected States. These plant species belong to different life forms, of which tree species was highest (144), followed by shrubs (4), bamboo/grass (3), herbs (3), and vines (3). Among the selected States, Meghalaya has notified highest number of species to the exempted category, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Kerala. Eucalyptus was the only species which was notified to the exempted category by all the States, followed by Polyalthia longifolia whereas 105 species were selected by a single State only. The State Governments policy for various plant species as grown on the private land and notified under the category of exempted from felling and or transit pass procedures is not uniform across the States. There is a need of farmers-friendly tree felling and transit pass policy in view of encouraging farmers for raising tree species in their farmlands.