The Forests department is undertaking a drive aimed at declaring government lands, which are in the nature of forests, as reserve forests.
Noting that there are several tracts of such lands in the State, a senior official of the department cites the example of Kalvarayan Hills in Villupuram which has not been declared a reserved forest. The drive, being carried out with the help of the Revenue department, covers several districts such as Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode and the Nilgiris.
Describing the drive as forest settlement, the official says the tracts of lands, after due process, are eventually made reserve forests.
The drive assumes importance as forest and tree cover in the State accounts for about 22 per cent of the total geographical area, as assessed by the Forest Survey of India 2005. The National Forest Policy, 1988, prescribes 33.33 per cent. There is an urgent need to improve the forest cover of the State, the official adds.
