Over 25.71 lakh saplings to be planted in Tiruvannamalai

Tiruvannamalai district launches massive green initiative to plant over 25 lakh saplings, covering 380 villages by 2024-25.

As part of Green Tamil Nadu Mission, the Tiruvannamalai district administrations kick-started a massive green initiative to plant more than 25.71 lakh saplings for the year 2024-25, covering at least 380 villages in the district.

Along with Tiruvannamalai DMK MP, C.N. Annadurai, Collector D. Baskara Pandian launched the drive by planting saplings on the campus of the Government Medical College Hospital near Arunachaleswarar temple.

“All government departments including State Highways, revenue, local bodies and health should take part in the drive. The Forest Department alone has to plant over 8.89 lakh saplings in the district by year-end,” G.P. Saravanan, forest range officer, told The Hindu.

Saplings will be planted along 14 km-long girivalam path around the 17th Century temple. Seven reserve forests including Chippakadu, Athipakkam and Sorakolathur in the town that has around 13,000 hectares of forest land will be covered.

Areas were selected based on tree density and soil tests were conducted in each area to ensure that they suited the local weather conditions. Most of them will be planted before the onset of northeast monsoon to allow plants to grow. 

Officials said the initiative has been started under the Green Tamil Nadu Mission 2024-25 to increase the green cover in each district. Respective local bodies and NGOs were roped in to maintain the saplings planted in these districts. Women workers enrolled under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme were also hired.

Plant varieties like vaagai (Albizia lebbeck), vembu (Azadirachta indica), mantharai (Bauhinia purpurea), punnai (Calophyllum inophyllum), kalyana murungai (Erythrina variegata) and arasamaram (Ficus religiosa) were among those planted as part of the drive.