While lack of palatable fodder in the forest is blamed as a reason for wild animals like elephants to look for agricultural crops, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department is gearing up to reverse the state of the degrading grasslands.
The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Forage Crops, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), and Forest College and Research Institute (FC&RI), Mettupalayam, has launched a project, titled ‘Meipulam’, under which 10 native grasses will be planted in degraded forest areas using different propagation methods.
Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR) will execute the initiative which aims to restore 520 hectares of forests in 22 forest divisions at a cost of ₹2.66 crore in the first phase.
