TN plans to come out with Tree Act to protect indiscriminate felling of trees

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu's green cover, which has been continously ravaged in the name of development, could soon have a legal backing. The trees dotting the public spaces will be protected with the state government planning to come out with a Tree Act.

Additional Chief Secretary of Environment Climate Change and Forests, Supriya Sahu told The New Indian Express though the state had come out with a mechanism last year to protect the trees by constituting State Level Green Committee and District Level Green Committee after the Madras High Court wanted a mechanism to regulate the felling of trees. It still lacked a legal backing.

As such the state is working on a Tree Act which will be modelled as per The Delhi Tree Act, 1994 and various other models being implemented in the country, the environment secretary said. She said even Karnataka and Goa are among the states that have Tree Acts.

The Act could make felling, removal or disposal of any tree or forest produce in any land whether in ownership or occupancy or otherwise without  prior permission an offence as is being done in Delhi.  The Delhi Act has also provisions of fine. "Any person who fells a tree on conviction can be punished with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to Rs. 1,000 or both. However a forest offence under the said Act can be compounded by paying value of forest produce or compensation which may extend to Rs. 10,000 or both," according to the Act.

It is learnt that the state is also compiling an inventory of trees, which will be mapped and tagged. Besides, a standard operating procedure (SoP) os being worked out for cutting of trees. Sahu, who is planning to plant, 260 crore trees by 2030, says the scheme is on track. "We have planted seven crore saplings and the state has now 1917 nurseries. We plan to increase the carbon stock by another 30 to 40 metric tonnes," she said. The sapling would be native ones, she said.

The environment secretary also plans to set up blue green centres, an malagation of river, lakes and tanks with trees, parks and gardens in 100 villages. These will be owned by the communities.

Sahu also spoke at a a panel discussion highlighting the contribution of pioneering Australian ecologist and long-term resident of Tamil Nadu Joss Brooks to Greening Madras hosted by the Australian Consulate-General in Chennai. Brooks, a kindergarten dropout, from Australia was the brain behind implementation of Tholkappiar Poonga Eco-Park restoration for the Tamil Nadu government by restoring and rewilding 58 acres of wetland as part of the Adyar estuary in Chennai. He was also instrumental in creating several bio-diversity interpretation centres in many parts of Chennai including Siruseri Twin Lakes in South Chennai.

Australian Consul-General, Sarah Kirlew said there is a lot of cooperative work Australia and India can do on conserving and restoring ecosystems, including around water management, where Australia has some world-leading technology.