The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamilnadu Ltd. (Sipcot), along with the Forest Department, will complete planting about 24,000 saplings across three industrial parks in Chennai by the end of December as a part of a larger project.
The aim of the project is to plant 2.34 lakh saplings in the 19 industrial parks of Sipcot across the State at a cost of ₹10 crore. The open space reserve in these parks would be utilised for the purpose.
“Initially we decided to plant 10% of the saplings this year in Chennai, which comes to nearly 24,000. Out of this, 14,000 will be in Irungattukottai, 7,000 will be in Pillaipakkam and 3,000 will be planted in Siruseri industrial parks respectively. About 90% of this work is over and remaining would be completed by end of this month,” J, Kumaragurubaran, MD, Sipcot, told The Hindu.
The planting work for the current year in the said three industrial parks is being carried out by the Pallikaranai Forest Range of Chennai Forest Division.
Mr. Kumaragurubaran pointed out that the 19 industrial parks across the State are spread across 32,000 acres.
“Out of it 10% is for open space reserve (OSR) which roughly comes to 3,200 acres. In some locations, open space reserve will include water bodies also. So we have to take out 1-2%. So 8% of the total space will be available for open space reserve, which is ready for plantation,” he said.
“In case of Sipcot, the OSR land is with us, unlike the case of other institutions where it has to be given to the local body,” Mr. Kumaragurubaran said.
“We are using one-year-old plants. The Forest Department will do the planting and wherever companies are willing, we hand over the maintenance to them. In other cases, Sipcot will undertake the maintenance,” Mr. Kumaragurubaran said.
“Sipcot is providing barb wire fencing and we ask the companies to do the de-weeding, water, drip irrigation, as part of their maintenance activity,” he added.
Indigenous species
An official from the Forest Department said the saplings include indigenous species such as Aal, Arasu, Aththi, Naval, Neermaruthu and Magizham, among others.
He also said so far 16 companies have been given the task of maintaining the plantations.
Mr. Kumaragurubaran said simultaneously plans are on for uprooting the unwanted species.
“We have called for tenders which would be taken up after local body elections are over. By February-end, all unwanted species would be removed from all industrial parks,” he said.
Mr. Kumaragurubaran said the project is for two years and the next set of planting the saplings would be taken up in June/July and October/November 2020 monsoon period.
“Our intention in next 2-3 years, the OSR in industrial parks should look like a social forest,” he said.
