World Mangrove Day: Tamil Nadu's renewed efforts add nearly 3,000 hectares of mangroves in three years
Since 2022, Tamil Nadu has planted and restored over 2,900 hectares of mangroves across nine coastal districts to reduce the impact of cyclones, tidal surges, and erosion, and support biodiversity and local livelihoods.
As the State's 1,076-kilometre coastline, which spans 14 districts, is increasingly vulnerable to climate-related risks, the Tamil Nadu government has taken renewed efforts in restoration.
According to Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, in February 2023, the Department launched a three-year mangrove restoration scheme with an allocation of ₹25 crore, focusing on both planting new mangroves and rehabilitating degraded areas. The programme, which is expected to run until 2026, targets ten districts and covers both forest and revenue lands with potential for mangrove growth.
As per official data, during the first year of the scheme, 2022–23, 1,181.4 hectares were planted, with significant work in Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Thoothukudi.
At the same time, 200 hectares of degraded mangroves were restored, particularly in Thiruvarur. In the following year, 720 hectares of new plantations were added, along with the restoration of 732 hectares. In 2024–25, an additional 275 hectares were planted, with more expected by the end of the year.
Ms. Sahu said that the planting efforts have used several techniques, including linear planting of propagules, intertidal nursery cultivation, and modified fish-bone planting patterns to maximise seedling survival.
Special focus has been given to reintroducing rare species like Sonneratia apetala, Xylocarpus granatum, and Kandelia candel, which had largely disappeared from the region. Alongside mangroves, bio-shield plantations using trees such as casuarina, palmyrah, and cashew have been introduced to protect against wind and wave action.
The mangrove plantation efforts were undertaken as part of Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR), the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), the Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT), and other centrally sponsored schemes.
However, challenges remain, particularly in districts like Chengalpattu and Pudukkottai, where plantation activity has been limited due to ecological or hydrological factors.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
AP Mega DSC 2025 result to be announced shortly at apdsc.apcfss.in; download final answer keys here
AP DSC 2025 final answer keys released, result expected shortly AP MEGA DSC 2025 result: The Department of School Education, Andhra Pradesh, is expected to announce the AP MEGA DSC 2025 recruitment examination result soon. Once released, candidates can access their results from the official website, The AP MEGA DSC recruitment examination was conducted from June 6 to July 6, 2025, to fill 16,347 teacher vacancies across the state. The final answer keys for the examination have been released and are available for download on the official portal. Final answer keys released after objection window As per the official examination schedule, the initial answer key was released a day after the conclusion of the examination. Candidates were provided with a seven-day window to raise objections to the initial key. After evaluating the objections, the Department has now published the final answer key. T he schedule also mentions that the results will be declared on the seventh day following the release of the final answer key. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official website for updates regarding the release of the result. Recruitment drive aims to fill 16,347 vacancies Through this recruitment process, the Andhra Pradesh School Education Department intends to fill a total of 16,347 teaching posts. These include vacancies across multiple categories and locations in government schools throughout the state. Candidates who appeared for the examination will need their login credentials to access their individual results on the portal. The result will include details such as candidate name, roll number, subject-wise scores, and overall qualification status. Steps to check and download AP MEGA DSC 2025 result Candidates can follow the steps given below to check and download their result once it is made available: Step 1: Visit the official website at Step 2: On the homepage, click on the link labelled 'AP DSC 2025 result'. Step 3: Enter your login credentials such as user ID and password. Step 4: Submit the details to view the result on the screen. Step 5: Download and save the result for future reference. Direct link to download the final answer keys Official website to provide further updates All updates regarding the AP MEGA DSC 2025 result, answer keys, and recruitment process will be published on the official website. Candidates are advised to keep a close watch on for timely notifications. The AP DSC 2025 result will determine eligibility for the advertised teaching posts and play a crucial role in the selection process. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Illegal fences by tea estates primary cause of rising human-elephant conflict in Gudalur: Forest department
The Tamil Nadu Forest department believes illegal fences, erected by large tea estates in the Gudalur region, are the primary drivers causing negative human-elephant interactions in the region. Residents and politicians from Gudalur have been staging protests against the Forest department and the government, alleging that a lack of elephant-proof trenches and general apathy were driving elephants into human settlements. These included areas such as Padanthorai and Srimadurai, where locals allege elephants were not seen until recently. However, dismissing these assertions, Vengatesh Prabhu, Divisional Forest Officer (Gudalur), said by comparing notes from noted conservationist, E.R.C. Davidar, it was clear there were 11 migratory paths used by elephants that cut through Gudalur connecting Mudumalai Tiger Reserve with Nilambur and Wayanad in Kerala. 'These migratory paths, identified in the 1980s, coupled with our learnings, show Gudalur was only used as a migratory route by elephants till the 2000s and was not a habitat for a settled permanent population until the last two decades,' said Mr. Prabhu. 'In fact, in 2002-2003, when the only resident elephant in the region, a makhna, had died, people came out in droves to pay homage to the animal,' he added. To identify the probable factors that had led to elephants settling in the region, Forest department officials began combing through records of human deaths caused by elephants. They found that it was only after 2008 that human deaths began increasing. Mr. Prabhu believes this coincides with the period when the major estates in the region began fencing their large estates, some measuring thousands of acres, with barbed wire and electric fencing. 'The elephants, which were using this landscape only as a migratory path, began to settle in the region as they simply had nowhere to go as they were penned in by the fences from all sides,' said the DFO. The Forest department now believes all 11 migratory paths that had been used by elephants to move through the region have become blocked by illegal settlements, fences, plantations, encroachments, and other bottlenecks, creating a resident population of elephants that are unable to move between habitats. The Forest department believes some elephants are still able to move between the different habitats through Gudalur, including between the Sigur plateau and Kerala, but that these movements are random and are unpredictable due to the bottlenecks created by human settlements. Elephant experts and conservationists from the Nilgiris said, if verified, that the blockages to elephant movement could be highly detrimental to the future of the Asian elephant in the region. 'Asian elephants move between different habitats for a variety of reasons, including socialising, seasonal changes in food availability, but most importantly, for mating. Only if elephants are able to move between different interconnected habitats, can population depression due to in-breeding be prevented and genetic diversity be maintained,' said a conservationist from the Nilgiris who requested to remain anonymous. If the bottlenecks continued to thwart elephant movement, it could lead to a slow but gradual decline of the elephant population across the region over the next few decades, they cautioned. Mr. Prabhu said there were now elephants born in Gudalur who only know of living within the limited confines of the region. 'It is simply a myth that elephants were straying out due to a lack of food in forest areas or due to the elephant population increasing,' he added, stating that the Forest department was holding discussions with estate managers, local residents, and politicians in an attempt to convince them to remove fences preventing elephant movement in certain areas. Short-term measures For the time being, Mr. Prabhu said steps to mitigate negative interactions are being worked on. While solar-powered lights are being fitted along routes used by villagers so that elephants are more easily seen, high-tech AI-integrated thermal cameras are also to be fitted soon. These cameras will have the capability of noticing elephants from more than two kilometers away so that the public can be notified well in advance before they can approach human settlements, said Mr. Prabhu. A team of Forest department staff and local residents are also to visit the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve to study the technologies implemented there to ascertain the feasibility of these technologies for use in Gudalur. 'The Forest department, supported wholly by the government, is looking at creating a dialogue with local communities to come up with long-term solutions to mitigate negative interactions in the region,' assured Mr. Prabhu.
The Hindu
25-07-2025
- The Hindu
World Mangrove Day: Tamil Nadu's renewed efforts add nearly 3,000 hectares of mangroves in three years
On the eve of World Mangrove Day, observed annually on July 26, Environment and Climate Change Minister Thangam Thennarasu planted mangrove saplings at the Adyar estuary in Chennai. Since 2022, Tamil Nadu has planted and restored over 2,900 hectares of mangroves across nine coastal districts to reduce the impact of cyclones, tidal surges, and erosion, and support biodiversity and local livelihoods. As the State's 1,076-kilometre coastline, which spans 14 districts, is increasingly vulnerable to climate-related risks, the Tamil Nadu government has taken renewed efforts in restoration. According to Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, in February 2023, the Department launched a three-year mangrove restoration scheme with an allocation of ₹25 crore, focusing on both planting new mangroves and rehabilitating degraded areas. The programme, which is expected to run until 2026, targets ten districts and covers both forest and revenue lands with potential for mangrove growth. As per official data, during the first year of the scheme, 2022–23, 1,181.4 hectares were planted, with significant work in Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Thoothukudi. At the same time, 200 hectares of degraded mangroves were restored, particularly in Thiruvarur. In the following year, 720 hectares of new plantations were added, along with the restoration of 732 hectares. In 2024–25, an additional 275 hectares were planted, with more expected by the end of the year. Ms. Sahu said that the planting efforts have used several techniques, including linear planting of propagules, intertidal nursery cultivation, and modified fish-bone planting patterns to maximise seedling survival. Special focus has been given to reintroducing rare species like Sonneratia apetala, Xylocarpus granatum, and Kandelia candel, which had largely disappeared from the region. Alongside mangroves, bio-shield plantations using trees such as casuarina, palmyrah, and cashew have been introduced to protect against wind and wave action. The mangrove plantation efforts were undertaken as part of Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR), the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), the Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT), and other centrally sponsored schemes. However, challenges remain, particularly in districts like Chengalpattu and Pudukkottai, where plantation activity has been limited due to ecological or hydrological factors.
