COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has decided to restore 520 hectares of grassland to meet food demand for wildlife across the state under the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR). The project is called 'Meipulam,' a name inspired by Madurai Kanchi, a poem in Sangam literature and is expected to reduce the chances of wild elephants roaming out of the forest in search of fodder and thus mitigate the human-elephant conflict in the coming years.
In this regard, TBGP in collaboration with the Forest College and Research Institute (FCRI) Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) organised a training session for 200 forest range officers to multiply from the identified 10 native grasses and increase the food availability to wildlife. Under the project, a portion of grassland is restored at Guindy National Park in Chennai.
K Baranidharan professor and Head Department of Forest Products and Wildlife FCRI told TNIE that the 10 species of palatable grasses are liked by herbivores such as elephants and gaur. "The grasses will have high nutritious value and easy to propagate," he said.
On Friday, forest watchers and Anti Poaching Watchers (APWs) who were working in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri and Salem forest circles got training on seed collection and grass identification from experts of FCRI and TNAU at Karamadai forest range. While range officers and foresters will identify the grass species and APWs and forest watchers will do seed collection and planting.
As per the sources, the forest department has allocated a total of 2.66 crore as part of restoring 520 hectares in 22 forest divisions within a year. The sowing will be taken up in the coming days.
Chief Project Director of TBGPCCR I Anwardeen "We have allocated Rs 51,155 for restoration of one hectare and a minimum of 10 hectares to a maximum of 30 hectares have been allocated for a division or tiger reserve across the state. Out of 520 hectares, 20 hectares would be restored in Tuticorin at a cost of Rs 10.23 lakh and 30 hectares would be restored at Kalakkad in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR).'
"We have decided to restore the grasslands with indigenous grass species that are preferred by the elephants and other herbivores. Western restoration techniques, such as removal of non-palatable coarse grasses, removal of exotic grasses, and sowing transplanting of grass species, will be included in the project. We will also involve tribal people in seed collection and it will be one of the livelihood improvements for the tribals," the official pointed out.