Green committee takes on uphill task to reverse forest cover depletion in  Thoothukudi

THOOTHUKUDI: The newly-constituted district green committee has an uphill task to increase the forest cover in Thoothukudi district, which has declined by 15.32 sq km in recent years. According to forest survey reports, Thoothukudi has only 5.41 per cent green cover, against its total geographical area of 4,745 sq km, excluding the two per cent of reserved forests or notified forest areas in the district.

While the survey reports in 2017 recorded 5.78 per cent forest cover in the district, the figure dropped to 5.41 per cent in 2019. Thoothukudi's forest cover is also much lower than the state average of 20.27 per cent. Only Tiruvarur and Karur have lower green cover than Thoothukudi.

According to activists, the growing patronage for industrialisation under the pretext of employment, felling trees for road projects, destruction of semi-arid grasslands, mushrooming wind mills in rural pockets, burgeoning real estate business firms that convert fallow agriculture lands into plots, are the reasons behind the decreasing forest cover.

Though the state witnessed an 83.02-sq km increase in forest cover in 2019, compared to the previous assessment, the figures of 18 districts were on a decline. Expressing concern in the matter, the Madras High Court early this year ordered constitution of district green committees in each department to examine proposals for felling trees in public lands. The committee would be responsible for undertaking annual tree-planting drives in coordination with other stakeholders.

Even though tree sapling planting drives had gained momentum, the dry condition coupled with poor rainfall and high maintenance cost make it difficult to grow, an official said.

According to the rainfall data available for the past 30 years, the district had not achieved the normal annual rainfall of 662.20 mm 19 times. It also faced severe water scarcity for four years in the last decade. During the worst drought in the region in 2012, only 32 per cent of the average rainfall was received.

District Forest Officer Abishek Tomar, who is also the district green committee member secretary, told TNIE the committee had tasked its members to identify forest-degraded areas for carrying out afforestation drives, and scoping to increase the green cover on fallow lands vested with the government. He attributed the decline of forest cover to climate change, droughts, poor rainfall, and changing agricultural patterns. "So ensuring a thriving water source nearby before taking up a plantation drive in an area, has become very much necessary," he said.

Speaking to TNIE, Collector Dr Senthil Raj said the green committee has been instructed to enumerate the number of trees on government lands and office premises. "The committee will work on mobilising more Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds towards afforestation drives. As dry spells are a major reason for withering of tree saplings, we must ensure availability of a water source at the plantation sites," he added.