Tamil Nadu   

Afforestation project gets Rs. 101-crore aid

Special Correspondent

TAP II also includes developmental activities in hill settlements, adjoining villages

CHENNAI: The second phase of the Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project, financed by the Japan Bank for International Co-operation, will be executed at a cost of Rs 101.42 crore for 2006-07.

The project, which envisages restoration of 45,250 hectares of degraded forests through joint forest management, has been approved by JBIC representatives who held a series of meetings with senior Forest department officials. Apart from afforestation, TAP II also includes provisions for undertaking developmental activities in 40 hill settlements and 205 adjoining villages through integrated watershed management under the National Forest Policy.

The Forest department has also lined up a series of projects for the coming year, including a boost to jatropha plantation, in a bid to enhance the use of bio fuels. Around 3.5 crore jatropha seedlings will be distributed free to farmers through various agencies, at a cost of Rs 10.5 crore.

To prevent man-animal conflicts in wildlife sanctuaries and to protect agricultural land in these zones from attack by wild animals, solar electric fences would be put up at a cost of Rs 2.2 crore in the various reserve forest areas. The fences would cover a total distance of 137.5 km.

Fire protection plan

To mitigate the damage caused by forest fires, an integrated forest fire protection plan would be executed at a cost of Rs. 5 crore, to be executed by joint forest management councils with community participation.

Out of the Rs. 30 crore sanctioned as per the recommendations of the Twelfth Planning Commission, Rs. 14 crore had been allotted to Tamil Nadu for forest development activities in the Nilgiris and Palani hills and for development of shola forests in Kodaikanal.

The process of granting compensation for those who lost their lives after attack by wild animals would also be speeded up, officials added.

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