The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Raja for massive movement to increase tree cover

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 25, 2007
ePaper


<SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?"> <IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N4322.hinduonline/B2155503.3;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=468x60;ord=[timestamp]?" BORDER=0 WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 ALT="Click Here"></A> </NOSCRIPT>

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Raja for massive movement to increase tree cover

Special Correspondent

National Forest Policy stipulates 33 per cent of India's geographical area be brought under tree cover from 22 per cent now National Forest Policy stipulates 33 per cent of India's geographical area be brought under tree cover from 22 per cent now

CHENNAI: "A massive movement involving farmers, wood-based industries, banking and financial institutions, non-governmental organisations and experts in forestry is necessary to achieve the target of bringing one-third of India under tree cover," speakers at a workshop on tree cultivation on private land said on Saturday.

Union Environment and Forest Minister A. Raja, who inaugurated the workshop organised by the Forest Department here, said the National Forest Policy, 1988, stipulated that 33 per cent of the country's geographical area be brought under tree cover as against 22 per cent at present. The Indian Institute of Forest Management, which conducted a detailed study, recommended that increasing the cover to 33 per cent would not be possible by the Government alone unless private stakeholders were also involved. The institute was preparing guidelines for improving the cover, which would be submitted to the Centre for approval, he said.

Director-General of Forests G.K. Prasad said planting of saplings on private land provided enormous scope for small and marginal farmers to get sustained income. They should be encouraged to grow species required for wood-based industries on their marginal and degraded land. Such tress might also be grown along with fuel and fodder species on community land with the consent of the people.

R. Rajagopal, Environment and Forest Department Secretary, said dryland farming had become a question mark with the frequent failure of the monsoon and over-exploitation of groundwater. Of 20 lakh hectares of dryland lying fallow in the State, farming was possible only on 5 to 7 lakh hectares. No agriculture activity was possible on three lakh hectares. Planting of saplings could be encouraged on a massive scale in the rest of the land mostly belonging to small and marginal farmers. Forest research centres of the department had developed species, which could yield an income of Rs.15,000 to Rs 20,000 an acre in a year after three years, he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu