Forest Department begins green cover drive

The Forest Department has started planting seedlings under the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project Scheme here.

Forest officials said the programme aimed at planting 8,92,800 saplings on private farm lands in Salem and Namakkal districts. The department has already raised 9.37 lakh saplings for planting at nurseries under each forest range and the forest extension centre here.

A. Periasamy, Conservator of Forests, Salem Circle, said, “Field staff have started the plantation activities as part of encouraging tree cultivation on private lands here. Forest staff would visit the farm lands and conduct the plantation activities. After two years, based on survival, the farmers would also be provided with incentives. The forest staff would provide necessary inputs to farmers for maintenance of the plant”.

According to officials, interested farmers can apply at respective forest range offices with documents like patta, adangal, Aadhar ID, address proof, passport size photographs here. The forest department aimed to complete the plantation activities by the end of November.

Officials said that under the scheme, the department planted 14,92,000 saplings in 2017-18 and 18,28,800 saplings in 2018-19.

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