Native species to be used in afforestation drive at Kattanchi Malai

COIMBATORE: In an attempt to increase the green cover, the Tamil Nadu forest department has decided to plant native saplings in Kattanchi Malai in the Periyanaciekenpalayam forest range.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of forests (APCCF) Deepak Srivastava, who is the Nodal officer for Green Tamil Nadu Mission and Member secretary of Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority, inspected Kattanji Malai along with the DFO TK Ashok Kumar and Assistant Conservator of forest C Dinesh Kumar on Tuesday.

Deepak Srivastava said, "Out of 800 hectares handed over to the forest department, we have identified 15 hectares of suitable area for planting native saplings -- Neem (Azadirachta Indica), Porasu a deciduous tree (Chloroxylon Swietenia), Veppalai (Wrightia tinctoria) and Ilandai etc. We have checked the depth of the soil strength  and will begin planting saplings soon."

Explaining the mission, Deepak said, "Under the Green Tamil Nadu mission, the State has planned to increase the forest and tree cover from 23.8 per cent to 33 per cent of the geographical area by planting tree saplings for 11,000 hectares in the next 10 years. We have chosen to plant saplings at the roadside, private institutions — colleges and industries, farmlands, panchayat tank bunds, and degraded forest areas. Though our mission is to increase the green cover up to 11,000 square km, 18,000 square km has been included under the planning process to keep 5,000 to 6,000 square km as a buffer area to cover up any shortfall." 

Farmers can get good profits by planting saplings such as Melia Dubia, Casuarina plant and teak trees etc, Deepak further said, adding that while casuarina plant (pulpwood) would give revenue after 18 months, plywood comes from Melia Dubia for five to six years which is like insurance cover for farmers. “They can include these saplings as intercrops. All these saplings planted under the Green Tamil Nadu mission would be geo-tagged and monitored using a mobile application."

Water source for animals

Further, the mission plans to create a water source for animals in Kallar. "The former Collector S Nagarajan had declared 50.79 hectares of private land in Kallar as elephant corridor," Deepak recalled.