Pune forest department faces funding shortages for plantations

The forest department in Pune is facing financial difficulties that hinder its ability to conduct essential activities like planting trees and managing water resources. Funding shortages have made it hard to complete tasks such as filling waterholes and controlling invasive plant species. Officials have been directed to use schemes such as MGNREGS to hire daily wage workers for planting trees. However, higher wages in industrial jobs have led many laborers to seek better-paying work, leaving the forest department struggling to find workers. Last year, the department aimed to plant trees across 1,000 hectares of forest land but managed to plant only 88,600 trees, marking a significant decline. The increase in labor costs has made it difficult for the department to attract workers, as payments under current schemes fall short. Additionally, the department is struggling to supply water to forest waterholes, which are crucial for wildlife. Officers are relying on corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and NGOs for water tankers, highlighting the urgent need for better funding to support these efforts.