Green Tamil Nadu: 2.80 crore saplings to be planted in 10 yrs

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday launched the Green Tamil Nadu Mission scheme to increase the green cover in the State. The scheme aims at increasing the green cover in the State to 33% of the total land mass, as was announced in the Budget of 2021-22.

Stalin launched the scheme by planting a tree sapling at Arignar Anna Zoological park in Vandalur near here.

The government has proposed to plant 2.80 crore saplings by roping in school students for the scheme to be implemented over the next ten years.

The key objective of the scheme was to plant and encourage planting of more native species of tree saplings as the indigenous species have the capacity to protect people from natural calamities caused by climate change and the impact climate change has on such native tree species. As a part of the launch, about 500 native species of tree saplings were planted at Vandalur zoo, where another 1,000 would be planted shortly.

The government intends to plant economically and ecologically significant indigenous tree species like Sandalwood, Red Sander and rosewood in agriculture farms, educational institutions, temple lands, industries, lands belonging to factories, lake bunds, river banks, catchment areas and other public land over the next ten years.

Stalin said that as many as 2.80 crore tree saplings have been raised through the joint effort of forest, agriculture and rural development departments besides the NGOs. The State Forest Department has launched an exclusive website www.greentnmission.com to monitor the requirement of saplings and the nurseries raising them. Data pertaining to all plantation sites have been collected by geo-mapping them to effectively monitor the planting activity and survival rate of the saplings. The Chief Minister also viewed the digital wall and digital book which enable people to learn about the mission. State forest minister K Ramachandran, state MSME minister T M Anbarasan, MPs and MLAs of the region and state forest secretary Supriya Sahu were also present during the inauguration.