more-in The Forest Department will plant 50,000 saplings of various trees under the Tree Cultivation in Private Land (TCPL) and Massive Tree Planting (MTP) programmes, two components under the Tamil Nadu Bio Diversity Conservation Greening Project (TNGP), in Sirumugai range of Coimbatore. According to Forest Department officials, TCPL project will aim at converting vacant and deserted patta lands into green patches by distributing 25,000 saplings to farmers. Apart from patta lands, saplings will also be distributed for planting them in places like schools, colleges and hospitals, among others under TCPL. Sirumugai Forest Range Officer E.N. Manoharan said that saplings to be distributed include that of malai vembu, gomar teak, teak and mahagony. “The tree varieties were chosen based on their ability to grow fast. They will attain significant growth within six years,” said Mr. Manoharan. Saplings for distribution are currently being raised at a nursery. The department is expecting to distribute them to beneficiaries in July till areas selected for the project receive adequate rainfall. Farmers will take care of the maintenance of the saplings for the initial two years after which they will be eligible to get the incentive from the government for the same. Under the MTP programme, the Forest Department will plant 25,000 saplings of neem, pungan, tamarind, vaagai, malabathrum, naval, Indian bael, albizia lebbeck and Malabar neem at Chennimalai hills, a forest land that is situated away from the reserve forest area of Sirumugai range.

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