Forest Department Makeing Special Effeective Use Of Monsoon
Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials are making effective use of the recent North East monsoon showers in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near Pollachi by implementing “Aiding Natural Regeneration” programme for enhancing green cover. ATR field director H. Basuvaraju and Ulandy (Top Slip) range officer S. Thangaraj Panneerselvam said the objective of the programme was to plant saplings in lieu of the dead trees or the saplings planted earlier that did not survive. Planting was already completed by the Forest Development Agency.
Over 60,000 saplings are being planted in the sanctuary area. Planting is being done in and around 30 settlements in five to 10 hectares of land in and around every tribal settlement. Saplings will be planted in about 300 hectares. Compared to the previous year, the rainfall during the South West monsoon this year was lesser and the rain in the North East monsoon has made the authorities to make use of the wet spell for increasing the green cover.
The department is going in for tall saplings primarily, bamboo, medicinal plants and saplings that could provide minor forest produce to the native tribal community. The officials said while every effort was being made to enhance the green cover to achieve the objective of 33 per cent green cover, protecting the existing green cover inside the reserve forest was also being given equal importance.
