The state forest department has intensified the drive to identify patches of forest presently under the revenue department and reclassify them as reserve forests to improve the forest cover.
According to statistics, the state has 22,877 sqkm of forests, 17.59% of the state’s geographical area. The forest and tree cover together account for 22.04% of the total area as against 33.33% envisaged by the National Forest Policy, 1988.
“Wherever there are forest patches or green patches, the district forest officers (DFOs) send proposals to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) to be settled as forests once and for all,” environment and forests secretary Debendranath Sarangi said on Friday.
Under Sections (4) and (16) of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882, the identified forest areas would be reclassified as revenue land and ultimately as reserved forests to prevent further encroachments, grazing and agriculture, he said. The task, he admitted, would be herculean as the forest and tree cover had to be increased by as much as 11%.
Towards this end, government poromboke land and revenue land were being reclassified and declared as reserved forests in Dharmapuri, Erode, Villupuram, Salem, Dindigul, Coimbatore and Theni districts. “Proposals are received from almost all the districts. Working in coordination with the revenue department, the forests tracts are being reclassified,” said Sarangi.
Citing the example of Kalrayan Hills in Villupuram district where the dense green cover was actually not forest land, he said the department had begun declaring it as reserve forest in stages. According to forest officials, thousands of hectares of land in the districts adjoining the western and eastern ghats were being reclassified to help protect drinking water sources for millions.
Although a policy decision has been taken to restore the character of the land which is forest, the field officers have a difficulty. “The government has set targets for revenue officials under the free two-acre land scheme for landless farmers and the revenue officials are hell bent on achieving the targets. As a result the process of restoring forests their natural character is delayed,” said a district
forest officer.
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