NABARD Sanctions Rs 457 Cr Loan To Restore 33,290 Ha Of Degraded Forest Land In TN

IAS Officer Supriya Sahu said, under the project, a total of 33.50 lakh seedlings will be planted and forest areas with less than 0.4 density will be identified to recharge groundwater.

Chennai: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) sanctioned Rs 457 crore loan to Tamil Nadu for restoring 33,290 hectares of degraded forest land in the state. The Tamil Nadu government aims to achieve the feat through the 'Restoration of Degraded Forests Landscape Project' in the next five years. 

According to a report in New Indian Express, Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department said, under the project a total of 33.50 lakh seedlings will be planted, forest areas with less than 0.4 density will be identified to improve recharge of groundwater.

Based on a proposal, the Centre has also sanctioned a JICA-funded project 'Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response' (TBGPCCR) at the cost of Rs 920.52 crore to be implemented for eight years from 2022-23 to 2029-30. 

Through TBGPCCR project, the state aims to increase carbon storage by 4 lakh MT by 2032, restore 2.6 ha of coral reef, 600 ha of seagrass, seaweed and mangrove cover among others.

The government also aims to eliminate invasive alien species in forest areas including the Western Ghats. The state has alloted Rs 5 crore for removing invasive species and JICA-Tamil Nadu has funded another 17.42 crore for removing the species under Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response Project, said the report.

Meanwhile, India's State of Forest Report 2021 revealed that the state has a forest cover of 6,26,419.23 sq km.