Sectors based on timber and forest produce like furniture, medicinal plants, agarbatti (incense sticks) and traditional village artisan-based manufacturing will get a boost with Maharashtra working on formulating a forest-based industrial policy. To be submitted to the state government soon, the draft policy will be the first-of-its-kind in Maharashtra and will aim at adding value to the forest produce-based industries. It will formalise the present supply chain, which is disorganised in nature, while preventing any environmental damage. "The policy will add value to forest produce by involving the industry, and ensure profit sharing between industries and local owners -the tribals-by weeding out middlemen, but while keeping ecological capital sustainability intact. Our goals are ensuring sustainable production of forest produce, livelihood security to tribals and boosting the economy," said Praveen Srivastava, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. Recently, senior forest department officials also met stakeholders like from industries like timber, medical plants and khadi and village industries. At present, there is no policy for management of demand and supply of non-processed forest produce and sustainable utilization of forest produce. Timber and non-timber produce has to be imported from abroad to meet domestic demand, while over-exploitation of some medicinal herbs remains a matter of concern. This points to the need for sustainable and optimum use of these raw materials and for formalising these forest based industries. Srivastava noted that while the districts of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur in Vidarbha were rich in timber, bamboo, minor forest resources and medicinal plants, they also lagged behind in economic development. He added that industries like handicrafts, matchsticks, agarbatti, plywood and medicinal plants, needed raw material. "But, as on today, there is no institutionalised mechanism for the supply of this raw material. In any case, they are getting it, but in an irregular and unorganised form. We want to institutionalise this supply chain so that tribals, who are the custodians of natural resources, get the profits. Otherwise, most profits are taken away by the middlemen," explained Srivastava. The draft policy and concept paper will be placed before a conference of senior forest officers in Thane later this month. Though this policy will apply to the state, it will primarily focus on Vidarbha and the western Ghats region, which have heavy forest cover. It is estimated that only 3- 4% of natural resources have been put into the formal, national economy, said Srivastava. Maharashtra has a 61,851 sq km forest area in 2019 or 20.1% of the geographical area as against the target of 33% under the National Forest Policy, 1988. This is down from 63,544 sq km in 1960-61. In 2017, the forested area in the state was 61,274 sq km, or 8% of the country's 7,67,419 sq km. According to the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2018-19, the forestry and logging sector was expected to grow by 16.4% in the fiscal. The forests provide major products like timber and firewood and minor products like bamboo, tendu leaves, gum, lac, hirda, shikekai, and grass. As per 'India State of Forest Report- 2017 (ISFR)', very dense forest constitutes 17.2%, moderately dense forest 40.8% and open forest 42% of the total forest cover in the State.

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