CHENNAI: Siruseri in the outskirts of Chennai, which has emerged as a concrete jungle filled with high-rise structures, will soon have a much-needed lung space after the State Forest Department has taken steps to create a 50-acre urban jungle near the Sipcot there.

Now, tender has been issued for create the forest. As per the plan, the project will be implemented by the forest department using the CMDA fund.

Forest Department sources told DT Next that saplings would be planted in the area and facilities such as benches, walkways and others would be provided. Once the project is completed, the public will be allowed inside the urban forest.

The decision was taken after the forest area near Siruseri was degraded due to the pressures of development. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) will create the urban forest on 50 acres of degraded forest area at a cost of Rs 5 crore. It would be implemented in coordination with Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC).

As per the Forest Survey of India’s State of Forest Report 2021, Chennai has only 5.3 per cent ‘forest cover’ (defined as lands spread across more than one hectare with a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent, including urban forests, parks, gardens, orchards, avenue trees, etc