India’s Nagar Van Yojana, launched to mitigate rising city temperatures, faces sustainability challenges as one-time grants fail to cover long-term maintenance costs. The shift from a purely capital-funded model to revenue-generating structures, such as entry fees, is now being explored to ensure the viability of these green urban spaces.
The Nagar Van Yojana, introduced by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2020, was designed to create a network of city forests to serve as natural cooling buffers in densely populated urban centers. While the initiative successfully launched numerous green pockets across the country using grants from the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA), a growing funding gap threatens the long-term survival of these projects.
The Operational Sustainability Gap
The current financial structure of the program relies on one-time capital grants. These funds are sufficient for setting up infrastructure and initial planting, but they do not provide a recurring budget for the ongoing maintenance, watering, and staffing required to keep these forests alive. Field observations from states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan suggest that once the initial grant is exhausted, project sites often struggle to secure the necessary funds for operational expenses. This mismatch between initial capital spending and operational expenditure often leads to the deterioration of physical facilities and the neglect of plant health.
Impact on Infrastructure and Staffing
When dedicated maintenance budgets are absent, the impact is visible in the physical condition of the sites. Reports indicate that maintenance delays have led to the breakdown of essential systems, such as water pumps. Furthermore, local ground staff at several locations have faced challenges with delayed wages, which affects the consistent upkeep of the sites. Without regular funding, saplings become vulnerable to animal encroachment and extreme climate events, effectively wasting the initial capital invested in the projects.
Transitioning to Self-Sustaining Models
To address these limitations, there is a push toward adopting hybrid revenue models that move beyond a reliance on government grants. Successful examples in cities like Ujjain and Bhopal have demonstrated that implementing modest entry fees can generate the immediate cash flow needed to cover essential maintenance and staff salaries. By integrating local livelihood incentives—such as controlled biomass collection in buffer zones—these projects aim to foster community involvement and long-term interest in the preservation of the land.
Future Policy Considerations
Experts and policymakers are now considering a two-stage approach to reform the governance of these urban forests. The proposal involves linking CAMPA grants to multi-year maintenance schedules that include strict performance inspections. Following the initial stabilization of the site, the operational responsibility would transition to joint management committees. This structure aims to balance state oversight with local operational control, ensuring that these urban green spaces remain viable and functional as cities continue to face the pressures of rising temperatures.