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10k teak saplings to offset Delta loss in Gaja
As part of green cover restoration in the Delta region that was mauled by cyclone Gaja, the State Forest department had taken up large-scale teak plantation works in Thanjavur forest circle.
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The first phase with nearly 10000 saplings had crossed the crucial stage with less mortality rate, said foresters, adding that staff have been deployed to nurture the saplings till the end of the ensuing summer.
“During the current year, teak plantation over 939 hectares have been raised in three forest divisions covering pockets in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam at a cost of Rs 1.87 crore. Encroachments along the banks of the Cauvery and its tributaries were cleared and fenced to raise the saplings,” said S Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests, Thanjavur circle.
Teak seeds were collected and raised in nurseries for one year. Besides, around 200 seedlings were planted per hectare and ideal locations coming under the Public Works Department and forest areas were selected for the plantation, the conservator said.
“It will take 30 years for these trees to mature and then the timber can be harvested. Around one lakh teak trees were uprooted during Gaja cyclone and this restoration project will regenerate the degraded riverbanks,” Ramasubramanian explained.
Further, Ramasubramanian said that the seedlings watered through borewell pipes dug along the riverbed have recorded a survival rate of 95 per cent and that the care will continue during the summer. As teak trees are native to Tamil Nadu, they have the potential to support local birdlife and insect biodiversity. By raising teak plantation, the timber pressure on the forests will be reduced, helping in conservation. The carbon stored in the timber will also reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide thus fighting climate change, Ramasubramanian added.
“Commercial forestry is something that the State should focus on to mitigate the climate change effect. Teak with good commercial value is one of the best timbers that the State can consider for long-term benefits,” said conservation scientist A Kumaraguru, Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Tiruchy. Besides the green cover and timber value, the teak plantation is a non-polluting industry that suits the fertile Delta region, he opined.
Troughs periodically filled up to avoid animal intrusion into human habitats
With temperatures soaring and summer seemingly setting in early, the Forest department has commenced the periodical filling up of water troughs inside forests for wild animals to quench their thirst. This also helps prevent intrusion of the animals into farms and villages.
“The troughs are filled with water supplied in tankers to ensure that wild animals do not suffer from a parched throat. Different teams have been deployed to monitor the level of water in troughs for due refill in Coimbatore,” said a Forest department official. There are also deep borewells to ensure replenishment of the troughs.
There are about 60 troughs placed in the Coimbatore forest division spread over different ranges, including Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Karamadai, Boluvampatty, Perianaickenpalayam,
Sirumugai and Madukkarai. This comes when most natural water sources in the jungles have begun to dry up even before summer.
The intrusion of wild animals into farms and villages usually escalates during summer when they come out in search of water and fodder. Such water troughs in forests hence help in restricting the animals from straying out of their habitat.
In Mettupalayam forest range, there are about 16 water troughs, besides ‘kuttai’ (percolation ponds) in Nellithurai and Odanthurai for wild elephants to quench thirst.
“As we ensure the availability of water in the tanks and ponds anytime, large herds of elephants have started to come to consume water. After drinking, they don’t stray into the nearby villages and quietly retreat into the forest,” said S Selvaraj, Forest Range Officer, Mettupalayam Forest Range.
In a similar initiative, the Forest staff in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve are on their toes to fill up troughs and ponds in the reserve forest area for the benefit of wild animals
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