THE government of Tamil Nadu is aboutto launch a massive afforestation drivecalled the Tamil Nadu AfforestationProject (TAP) which will be funded bythe Overseas Economic Co-operationFund of Japan. The quantum of assistance is to the tune of Rs 424 crore, asoft loan provided at an interest of 2.1 per cent. Of an outlay of Rs 499 crore,the balance will be provided by the stategovernment. This drive has beenplanned in the wake of the fact that inthe last 50 years, nearly 1.3 million ha ofvaluable forest cover has been lost inTamil Nadu.
TAP, spread over five years, will commence from 1997-98 and finish by AD2001 to 2002. It will involve a massivetree planting effort that would encompass an area of nearly 405,476 ha. Inaddition, an extent of 1,500 km wouldbe taken up for canal bank plantationsand coastal shelter-belt plantations.There are nearly 3,000 abutting villagesin the reserve forests in Tamil Nadu.Out of this, about 200 villages would betaken up in each of the five years, takingthe total number of beneficiary villagesto 1,000.
Presently, Tamil Nadu has an estimated forest cover area of around 2.1million ha. Not only are the forests invarious stages of degradation, but thebiotic pressure being exerted upon themis also quite high. As a result of a complex interplay of factors, things havebeen steadily deteriorating over theyears. 'The loss and the progressivedegradation of the remaining forestshave severely threatened the ecologicalintegrity of several catchment areas andwatersheds causing the hydrologicalfallout to be devastating.
The biological upgradation and eco-restoration of forests and other landswould be done through the joint forestmanagement involving the state forestdepartment and village communities.The village communities would participate through the institution of villageforest committees. The project document claims that the basic thrust of thiswhole effort will be on people's participation.
Statistics say that nearly 25,000 ha offorests get degraded annually on accountof over-grazing, over- exploitation of fuelwood, timber and other non-timberproducts. As a result, several rivers haverun dry and many now have only seasonal flows. The excess drawing ofgroundwater for various domestic, agricultural industrial and other demandshave also worsened the situation.