Nagar Van Yojana (Urban Forestry)

At a Glance

• Launched 2020, five years to 2024 to 2025
• Ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• Plan 400 Nagar Vans, 200 Nagar Vatikas
• Funding Mainly CAMPA funds
• Reported progress 544 projects in 324 cities, as of February 2025
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Environment and Climate Schemes

Where Does It Fit?

This topic uses the forest compensation money covered earlier in the macro to green cities. It is the urban counterpart of the Green India Mission and links to the National Clean Air Programme, because trees help with air quality and heat. Previous topic: National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change. Next topic: LiFE Movement (Lifestyle for Environment).

What Is the Nagar Van Yojana?

How Is the Scheme Carried Out?

• Forest Department role: the department plans and builds the Nagar Van with help from the urban local body
• Urban local bodies: municipal bodies provide land, maintain and own the green space after creation
• Land: existing forest land, or land from local bodies and other agencies, is used to create the Nagar Van
• Citizen participation: schools, colleges, resident welfare associations and NGOs take part in planting and care
• Native species: plants are chosen from native species, including tree, shrub and herb, to build a natural forest and not a garden
• Facilities: walking paths, nature education centres and benches are provided without damaging the forest
• Nagar Vatika: a smaller green space, planned for places where a larger forest is not possible
• Link with State plans: proposals are sent by the State and cleared by the Ministry, using the funds available under CAMPA, as in Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): Fund Rules and Recent Developments

What Else Should You Remember?

• Reason for the scheme: cities lose trees to construction, and green cover has fallen, which raises temperature, pollution and flood risk
• Urban heat island effect: built-up areas are warmer than their surroundings, and trees lower local temperature by shade and evapotranspiration
• Air quality: trees trap dust and reduce some pollutants, though they are not a substitute for cutting emissions, as in National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
• Biodiversity: urban forests can support birds, butterflies and small animals and bring people closer to nature
• Reported progress: as of February 2025, about 544 projects in 324 cities were reported sanctioned, covering about 15,626 hectares. Treat these as reported figures
• Earlier scheme: the Nagar Van Udyan Yojana of 2015 was announced to create one forest in each city, and the 2020 scheme gave it a clearer plan
• World Environment Day: the scheme was launched on 5 June 2020, which is World Environment Day
• Link with climate pledges: urban green cover contributes to climate adaptation and to the carbon sink goal, as in Panchamrit Climate Commitments (COP26)
• Link with the national mission: the rural counterpart is the Green India Mission, as in Green India Mission
• Land constraint: land is scarce and costly in cities, so many projects use small parcels or former dumping sites, which limits their size and ecological value
• Maintenance: trees need water and care for the first few years, and weak maintenance by local bodies can lead to loss of plants
• Evaluation gap: outcomes such as survival, shade and cooling are not always measured, so impact data is thin

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

1. Names: Nagar Van Yojana and Nagar Van Udyan Yojana
2. Numbers: 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatikas, and the five year period
3. Funding: CAMPA funds and the role of urban local bodies
4. Concept: urban heat island and urban forests
5. Common errors: treating it as a scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

As an analytical point, urban forests give shade, cooling and a place for people, but land and upkeep decide their success. Linking the scheme to city master plans and giving the urban local body funds for maintenance would make the green spaces last.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Basics Name and targets
• Funds CAMPA money
• Issues Land and upkeep

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the national mass movement on lifestyle for the environment. Next topic: LiFE Movement (Lifestyle for Environment).

Key People and Terms

• Nagar Van City forest
• Nagar Vatika Small urban green space
• ULB Urban local body
• CAMPA Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
• Urban heat island Warmer temperature in cities
• Native species Plants local to the region

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask whether urban forests can cool and clean cities. These points give a balanced frame.

• Benefits Cooling, air, biodiversity, wellbeing
• Concerns Land, upkeep, weak data
• Way forward Master plan link, upkeep funds, monitoring