CHENNAI: The Rural Development Department has developed more than 1,000 nurseries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to cultivate native species in rural Tamil Nadu. The department would take up a massive plantation campaign to improve green cover in rural Tamil Nadu, which would also help better livelihood and environmental sustainability.

Under this initiative, the department has raised more than 1.55 crore saplings of various native species. Once these saplings reach a height of more than six feet, they will be planted along roadsides in rural areas.

The saplings would also be planted in coastal areas to develop bio-fencing against sea erosion and natural calamities, officials added.

The department is distributing two saplings to each beneficiary of the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme and the Union government's Prime Minister Awas Yojana scheme, encouraging them to plant them on their land or in open areas within rural pockets to enhance green cover, said a senior official.

The department is also considering launching a drive to plant well-grown saplings raised in the nurseries by MGNREGS workers after the Northeast monsoon in order to improve their survival rate, the official added.

As of now, more than 8.28 lakh saplings have crossed the height of six feet, and 8.95 lakh saplings are above 5 feet.