Social Forestry Wing of this department has also achieved remarkable success towards improvement of environment and elevation of socio-economic condition of the rural mass. Most of the unutilized Government waste land, VGRS & PGRS have been identified and brought under Social Forestry Plantation with the objective to provide fuel wood, fodder, fruits, small timber for construction of huts and agricultural implements to the rural people. Social Forestry wing of this state has also given full importance to support the traditional cottage industry. For example, to support the "Eari & Muga" Silk industry in the rural areas Som plantations have been taken up extensively. The uptodate plantation raised under Social Forestry Schemes is approximately one lakh hectors. Under Extension Forestry, road side parks and recreation centres have been created to improve the quality of life of the people. Uptil now 32 such Recreation Parks have been created.

Achievement of various Schemes under Social Forestry Wing during 2007-08

An area of 67.45 Hect with 2,29,33,000 (two crore twenty nine lakh thirty three thousand) nos. of seedlings were raised with State Government fund for Rs. 183.04 lakh under SFG, TSP & SCCP schemes & maintenance was done for covering an area of 2133 hect. 20 lakh Agar and 10 lakh Maha Neem seedlings are being raised in the nurseries in Assam.

With the Central Government fund under NAP scheme for Rs 2366.35 lakh, an area of 19666 hect. plantation was done through 550nos of JFMCs under 28 nos of FDAs in Assam which includes Artificial Regeneration, Natural Regeneration, Bamboo plantation and Medicinal & Aromatic plantation .

Objectives

A. Short-term Objectives

1. Regeneration and eco-development of degraded forest and adjoining areas on a watershed basis.
2. Augmentation of the availability of fuel wood, fodder and grasses from the regenerated areas.
3. Securing people’s participation in planning and regeneration efforts to ensure sustainability and equitable distribution of forest products from the regenerated lands, and to promote the partnership concept in the management and administration of forests sand common property resources.
4. Promote agro-forestry and development of Common property Resources.
5. Promotion of fuel saving devices to encourage efficient use of fuel wood and to reduce the drudgery of rural women involved in collection of 3wood,as also to improve the environment.
6. Conservation and improvement of non-timber forest produce such as bamboo, cane and medicinal plants.
7. Encourage production of non-timber products such as wax, honey, fruits and nuts from the regenerated areas.
8. Raising coastal shelterbelts to mitigate the adverse impacts of cyclonic winds.
9. Develop water resources through plantation and water harvesting programmer.
10. Development and extension of improved technologies such as clonal propagation .and use of root trainers for raising seedlings, mycorrhizal inoculation, etc.
11. Rehabilitation of special problem lands like saline/alkaline soils, ravines, desert areas, coastal areas, mined areas ,Himalayas, Aravallis and western Ghats.
12. Employment generation for the disadvantaged sections of the society, particularly women. Scheduled castes/scheduled tribes and landless rural labourers, inhabiting the forests and adjoining areas.

B. Long – term objectives

1. Protection, Conservation of natural resources through active involvement of the people.
2. Checking land degradation, deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
3. Ecological restoration and environmental conservation and eco-development.
4. Evolving village level people’s organization which can manage the natural resources in and around villages in a sustainable manner.
5. Fulfillment of the broader objectives of productivity equity, and sustainability for the general good of the people.
6. Improve quality of life and self-sustenance aspect of people living in and around forest areas.
7. Capability endowment and skill enhancement for improving employability of the rural people.

C. JFMC Benefit Sharing

As per prevailing rules of JFMC , initial profit 50% will go to the beneficiaries of the JFMCs and final profit accumulated in final harvesting of 50% will be shared to the beneficiaries under the JFMC concerned.

Improvement & development 475 Tribal villages in Assam through FDAs were achieved with the fund received for Rs.5510.42 lakh from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, with an amount of Rs 171.66 lakh , the following activities were achieved.

1. Fuel wood plantation – 80 Hect.
2. Jatropha plantation – 40 Hect.
3. Distribution of improved chullah – 668 nos.
4. Bio-gas plant set up – 43 nos.

Under the National Mission on Bio Fuel of Ministry of Rural Development. Government of India sanctioned Rs. 1.5 crore for raising 50 lakh Jatropha seedlings nursery through 17 nos of FDAs in Assam were also achieved.

A High Tech Nursery was established in the State H.Q. with an amount of Rs. 10.00 Lakh and an area of 405 Hect. plantation was done through 9(nine) nos. NGOs with Rs. 33.14 lakh under the “Greening India Scheme” of Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India.

PROPOSED SCHEMES

1. The Government of Assam, under Medicinal & Aromatic plant garden scheme sanctioned an amount of Rs. 1.00crore for taking up the scheme in 6(six) districts of Assam covering an area of 25 Hect. in Assam.

2. CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANT AND CULTIVATION OF CASHEWNUT SCHEMEThis scheme for cultivation of Medicinal plant is proposed for 1430 hect. Areas at a total cost of Rs. 398,97,000 for three years period. Similarly scheme for cultivation of cashew nut is proposed for an area of 350 hect. A total cost of Rs. 447,97,700 for ten year period. This scheme is submitted to the Director Horticulture Guwahati. This scheme will be implemented through JFMC in Assam. The Director Horticulture has issued instruction to District Agriculture officers.

3. BIO-GAS PLANTA proposal has been taken up for installation of Bio gas plant in 550 nos of JFMCs through the fund to be sanctioned by Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources at the rate of Rs. 13,000.00 per plant . A subsidized rate would be fixed for the beneficiaries at the rate of Rs. 9,000.00 per plant.

4. HONEY BEESetting up of Honey Bee plant through the State is proposed to be implemented through 550 JFMCs at the rate of Rs. 16,000.00 per plant . A subsidized rate would be fixed for the beneficiaries at the rate of Rs. 800.00 per plant. The matter is take-up with the Director, Horticulture, Assam for sanctioning the required fund for implementation of the Scheme.

5. L.P.G.A proposal has been taken up for distribution of LPG connection with gas chullah in 550 nos of JFMCs. The matter is taken up with the Manager (Marketing), I.O.C., Guwahati for taking necessary steps.

AWARENESS PROGRAMME

a. Awareness programme is taken up through distribution of seedlings by distributing 81,50,000 nos of seedlings for the year 2007-08 in the State of Assam.

b. There are some important aspects in the Basistha Forest enclave for the school children which may lead them interested to forestry & wildlife viz.

i. High Tech nursery, Bamboo nursery, general nursery, Orchid house, natural forest vegetation etc.

ii. Botanical garden

iii. Gasifire plant

iv. Pigmey Hog.