New efforts are being made regularly for the economic growth of farmers in Uttar Pradesh. To protect the environment, the government has started a new and unique step under the carbon credit scheme. Now, farmers are being given money in advance.
Farmers are getting advance payment for the carbon credits they will earn in the future from the trees they plant. This money is given based on the carbon-absorbing power of the trees. Earlier, farmers got this money only after collecting carbon credit points. But now, the Yogi government is giving the payment in advance.
The state government has already given a partial payment of ₹48.6 lakh to 237 farmers. According to the Forest Department, this payment has been given to motivate farmers. However, if the trees are not kept safe for five years, the remaining money will not be given.
Each farmer has received around ₹10,000. In the first phase of this scheme, 25,140 farmers have registered. The second phase started a month ago, and registration is still going on.
These Farmers Will Get the Benefit
The government is treating 2024-25 as the base year for the scheme. This means farmers who plant trees during or after 2024-25 will get the carbon credit benefit after five years. In July last year, Uttar Pradesh became the first state in India to make advance payments for carbon credits.
What is Carbon Credit and How Do Farmers Earn It?
Farmers earn carbon credits when the trees planted by them absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Trees take in carbon and release oxygen, which helps clean the air. One carbon credit is given for every one metric ton of carbon dioxide stored by trees. For this, a farmer is paid about 6 US dollars every five years.
The Forest Department of Uttar Pradesh has signed an agreement with TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and VNV Advisory Services for this project. Farmers must first register with the Forest Department. Then, a team from TERI checks and verifies the trees planted. After that, the carbon credit is calculated.
When Will the Farmer Get the Money?
According to the Forest Department, about ₹25 lakh has already been sent to the Dudhwa Tiger Conservation Foundation to be given as advance payment to farmers. Another ₹26.15 lakh is being processed for 408 more farmers.
A farmer will receive carbon credit payments for 30 years under the Carbon Finance Project. This is an extra income for farmers just for planting and growing trees on their land.
Where is the Scheme Active?
The scheme started last year in six forest divisions — Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Meerut, Moradabad, and Saharanpur. In the second phase, seven more forest divisions have been added — Devipatan, Ayodhya, Jhansi, Mirzapur, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Aligarh.