Over 5 pc forest cover lost due to Gaja, wild fires: Officials

Now with Cyclone Gaja and forest fires, the tree cover is likely to be affected by more than five per cent, informed forest department official sources told DT Next.

The Forest Survey of India report for the year 2015-16 released last year showed an increase of the coverage by 2,501 square kilometres, but now with Kurangani fire in Theni, Cyclone Gaja damage in Kodaikanal and recent forest fires in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, the forest cover is all set to dwindle from its existing coverage.

As per the 2015 assessment, Tamil Nadu had 26,345 sq.km of forest which is 20.26 per cent of the Geographical Area (GA) of the state.

The tree cover of the state which is 4,505 square kilometres is also to be adversely affected because of Cyclone Gaja in delta districts, forest sources said.

Adding to the issue, the state mangroves cover, which increased up to 2 per cent with Muthupet and Pitchavaram mangroves recording marginal increase in the past five years, had also taken a massive beating due to Cyclone Gaja. “Muthupet has lost close to the 30 per cent of the mangroves cover due to Gaja and it will take at least five years for the slow growing mangroves to restore,” said a forest range official serving in the Delta region.

Irked over poor implementation of tree planting programme, the state government had also divested the forest department of planting tree saplings. “During 2015-16 to 2017-18 the forest department allocated Rs 61.68 crore to plant trees but the project turned out to be damp squib, due to the poor survival of saplings.

The annual scheme launched by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami last week is now handed over to the Rural Development Department,” admitted a senior forest official.