As part of green cover restoration in the Delta region that was mauled by cyclone Gaja, the State Forest department had taken up large-scale teak plantation works in Thanjavur forest circle.
“During the current year, teak plantation over 939 hectares have been raised in three forest divisions covering pockets in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam at a cost of Rs 1.87 crore. Encroachments along the banks of the Cauvery and its tributaries were cleared and fenced to raise the saplings,” said S Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests, Thanjavur circle.
Teak seeds were collected and raised in nurseries for one year. Besides, around 200 seedlings were planted per hectare and ideal locations coming under the Public Works Department and forest areas were selected for the plantation, the conservator said.
“It will take 30 years for these trees to mature and then the timber can be harvested. Around one lakh teak trees were uprooted during Gaja cyclone and this restoration project will regenerate the degraded riverbanks,” Ramasubramanian explained.
Further, Ramasubramanian said that the seedlings watered through borewell pipes dug along the riverbed have recorded a survival rate of 95 per cent and that the care will continue during the summer. As teak trees are native to Tamil Nadu, they have the potential to support local birdlife and insect biodiversity. By raising teak plantation, the timber pressure on the forests will be reduced, helping in conservation. The carbon stored in the timber will also reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide thus fighting climate change, Ramasubramanian added.
“Commercial forestry is something that the State should focus on to mitigate the climate change effect. Teak with good commercial value is one of the best timbers that the State can consider for long-term benefits,” said conservation scientist A Kumaraguru, Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Tiruchy. Besides the green cover and timber value, the teak plantation is a non-polluting industry that suits the fertile Delta region, he opined.