As part of conservation efforts, Tamil Nadu Government today proposed to create four wildlife sanctuaries in addition to the existing 10.
In a statement in the Assembly, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said the new sanctuaries were being set up in different districts by encompassing areas where wildlife was present in large numbers.
They are Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary covering Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, Gangaikondan Spotted Deer Wildlife Sanctuary in Tirunelveli, Kodiyakkarai Wildlife Sanctuary covering Nagapattinam-Tanjavur-Tiruvarur districts and Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary in Theni and Dinidgul districts.
She also said that under the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project, two crore tree saplings will be planted as short-term crops in private fallow and farm lands at an estimated Rs 97.66 crore.
The government has also prepared afforestation schemes for 2013-14 and 2014-15. A sum of Rs 107.96 crore remaining under the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) loan will be used for this purpose, she said.
To check recurring incidents of elephants straying into human settlement areas, moats will be set up with a total length of 440 kms at a cost of Rs 20 crore. Vulnerable areas will be identified for this, Jayalalitha said.
