Policy on anvil to streamline urban greening schemes across TN

CHENNAI: In a bid to coordinate and streamline greening projects and tree planting programmes carried out in cities across Tamil Nadu, the State government is drafting an exclusive 'Urban Greening Policy'.

According to a forest department source, the new policy is being prepared after an instruction from the chief secretary who had supposedly asked the Environment, Climate Change and Forest department to draft the policy. "The chief secretary has given an outline for the policy, based on which components are being framed," the source said.

A meeting was conducted at the State Secretariat a few days ago to discuss various aspects to be included in the Urban Greening Policy. The policy is being prepared as part of the Green Tamil Nadu Mission. The Mission has been given a task to plant 265 crore trees across the State in 10 years to increase the green cover of the State to 33 per cent from the present 23.69 per cent.

An official clarified that the tree planting and other greening projects being undertaken by the city corporations and other departments do not have any synergy. "The new policy will lay norms for planting trees, selection of species, tree planting sites, maintenance methodology, permissions to be obtained and other aspects. Once the policy is finalised, all tree greening projects in urban areas will be integrated," he explained.

As far as Chennai is concerned, the Parks department in the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) monitors avenue trees, parks and trees on the premises of Corporation buildings. However, the civic body has no authority over trees planted inside private and other government premises.

On the other hand, State and district green committees could only regulate the felling of mature trees in public spaces. Government departments that require trees to be removed should get permission from the respective green committees. Without clearance from the committees, trees cannot be felled.

As per the Forest Survey of India 2021 report, Chennai has only 22.70 sq. km of area covered by forest cover of which 15.04 sq. km is open forest. Out of around 430 sq. km of Chennai Corporation, only 5.28 per cent have forest cover.

Meanwhile, the State government has announced an 'Urban Greening Project' to increase tree cover in the cities under which parks and Miyawaki forests will be created.

As per the 2024-2025 budget, various initiatives such as planting of tall trees, Miyawaki forests, green roofs, vertical gardens, green subways, green screens, and planting trees along pedestrian pavements will be undertaken to expand green spaces across all corporations and municipalities in Tamil Nadu, including the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).