CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has drawn up grand plans to restore a whopping 1.26 lakh hectares of degraded forest in a phased manner starting this year. The project would be the cornerstone of the state’s climate resilience strategy.
As per official information shared with TNIE, the state has 5.65 lakh hectares of degraded forest, of which close to 2 lakh hectares is in the Western Ghats. This is greatly hampering the ability of the forests to act as a carbon sink and mitigate the impact of climate change in the state.
To counter this, TN government, with the financial assistance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), has launched the Restoration of Degraded Forests Landscape Project, under which 34,605 hectares have been identified for restoration under Phase-1 at a cost of Rs 481 crore over five years.
Subrat Mohapatra, CEO, Tamil Nadu Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (TNCAMPA), told TNIE, “Phase-1 of the project has different components, including restoration of mangroves, sandalwood cover, red sanders, plantation in Kosasthalai and Araniyar river catchment area, besides plantation in forest areas. While mangrove and sandalwood restoration works will be carried out this year, the remaining restoration works will commence from next year. Only raising of nursery is proposed this year.”
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department, told TNIE a total of 33.50 lakh seedlings will be planted in the area. “Forest areas with less than 0.4 density and forests of important watersheds to increase water recharge are identified. We have studied degraded forests. As of 2021, forest with less than 0.4 density is 11,792 sq.km (this includes grasslands). Areas with invasive species can also be taken up for planting under this scheme,” she said.
Nod for JICA-funded project in TN
Based on a proposal sent by the state government, the Government of India has also sanctioned a new JICA-funded project, ‘Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR),’ with an outlay of Rs 920.52 cr for implementation from 2022-23 to 2029-30.
The major expected outcomes from the project by 2032, include increase in carbon storage by 4 lakh MT, restoration of 3.6 ha of coral reef area, restoration of 600 ha of sea grass and 300 ha of seaweed, increase of mangrove cover over an area of 1050 ha, 60,000 ha increase in Trees Outside Forest cover. Sahu said each seedling planted will be geo-tagged and digitally monitored. Third-party monitoring will also be introduced.
