Tamil Nadu Budget 2021: Budget Boost For Ecology, Climate Change, And Beaches

The state government will launch Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission under the leadership of chief minister M K Stalin to focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The state has earmarked a budget of Rs 500 crores for the purpose, finance minister Palanivel Thyagarajan informed the assembly while presenting the budget.

Over the next 5 years, 10 beaches in TN will be upgraded with the active support of local bodies to achieve the prestigious Blue Flag Certification which mandates higher standards of quality, safety, environmental education and information, and safety services, Thyagarajan said.

The state government will also launch the Green Tamil Nadu Mission to increase the total area under the forest and tree cover in Tamil Nadu to 33 percent of the land area of the state. Under the project a massive tree plantation program of indigenous and diverse species, in coordination with multiple departments, public and private institutions will be taken up with people‟s participation over 10 years of period, he said.

Special attention will be paid to the modernization of the forest force by equipping them with modern equipment and technology including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), artificial intelligence, GIS and MIS-based management systems, updated weaponry, and forest worthy vehicles, the budget said. India’s first Integrated environment monitoring studio will be established for forecasting air quality on a real-time basis with an early warning system, the finance minister said.

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Another flagship project will be the Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission aimed to identify and map 100 wetlands in 5 years and restore the ecological balance with a focus on livelihood options for Rs 150 crore. To prevent flooding and waterlogging, 1000 low-lying areas were identified through revenue and disaster management authority for flood mitigation.

The state budget also spoke about reviving the tourism sector and restoration of the Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari.