Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Audit Finds India’s Green Mission Falling Far Short
India planned to create more forests through the Green India Mission.
The plan aimed to add trees and improve forests across 1.4 million hectares.
The audit found that only about 30,000 hectares of new forest and tree cover were added.
It also found that much less degraded forest was improved than planned.
Planting a tree does not always mean a forest has been created.
Trees need the right soil, water, species, care and protection to survive.
Healthy forests also include animals, insects, birds, fungi and local communities.
The article says old forests cannot quickly be replaced by new plantations.
It recommends protecting natural forests and judging projects by long-term ecological results.
The Green India Mission targeted 1.4 million hectares of additional forest and tree cover from 2015-16 to 2024-25.
Only about 30,000 hectares were added, representing an approximately 97.57% shortfall against the target.
Degraded-forest improvement covered roughly 110,000 hectares, far below the 1.4-million-hectare goal.
The Comptroller and Auditor General cited weak planning, financial management, monitoring and coordination among agencies.
The article argues that protecting existing forests, supporting local communities and measuring ecological outcomes matter more than counting saplings.
- Who
- The Comptroller and Auditor General of India reviewed the Green India Mission, while government agencies implemented it.
- What
- A performance audit found that the mission fell far short of its forest-cover and degraded-forest improvement targets.
- When
- The mission period examined ran from 2015-16 through 2024-25.
- Where
- The findings concern India, with examples including Delhi’s Shahabad Mohammadpur deemed forest and the Hasdeo Arand region.
- Why
- The shortfalls were attributed to inadequate planning, weak financial management, insufficient monitoring and poor coordination; the article also says plantation targets can overlook forest survival and ecological health.
- Forest-cover target
- The mission aimed to increase forest and tree cover over 1.4 million hectares between 2015-16 and 2024-25.
- Actual increase
- About 30,000 hectares were added, an approximately 97.57% shortfall.
- Degraded-forest target
- The mission sought to improve 1.4 million hectares of degraded forest.
- Degraded forest improved
- Improvement was achieved over roughly 110,000 hectares.
- Audit concerns
- The audit identified inadequate planning, weak financial management, insufficient monitoring and poor inter-agency coordination.
- Ecological concern
- The audit drew attention to plantations involving Acacia auriculiformis, identified in the article as invasive.
- Policy recommendation
- The article calls for long-term monitoring, ecological restoration, community participation and greater protection of existing natural forests.