On Thursday, April 13, a list of new centres was published by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for the year 2023-24, including a few new conservation centres for the iconic wildlife species of Tamil Nadu.
In the Assembly session, Forest Minister M Mathiventhan announced that Tamil Nadu will also get a new International Dugong Conservation Centre at Manora of Thanjavur district. The total cost of this project is estimated at Rs 15 crore. The state government has already notified 448 sq km of Palk Strait in the Gulf of Mannar as a Dugong Reserve to protect this mammal. The Dugong, also known as Sea Cow, is the only existing herbivorous mammal that lives in the sea. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) listed this species as ‘vulnerable’, and India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, added this species under Schedule I, which means that they must not be hunted anywhere in India except under threat to human life.
Apart from this, the Minister also announced the Slender Loris conservation centre in Ayyalur of Dindigul district, at an estimated budget of Rs 20 crore. It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu government earlier announced India's first Slender Loris sanctuary in the Karur and Dindigul districts with a forest cover of 11,806.56 hectares.
The Minister announced a slew of new projects in the Assembly to protect marshlands and Ramsar sites. Ramsar is a Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation of wetlands and their resources. Tamil Nadu has a total number of 14 Ramsar sites and tops the list in India. In 2022, 4 sites from Tamil Nadu were added to the Ramsar list.
Further, to establish the Pallikaranai Conservation Centre, the Forest Department has allotted Rs 20 crore. The Minister said that this conservation centre will provide academic material and research assistance to students, scholars, tourists, and the general public.
Two integrated development projects were also announced for Vedanthangal (Chengalpattu) and Koonthankulam (Tirunelveli) bird sanctuaries. For these projects, both Ramsar sites will get Rs 9.30 crore and Rs 6 crore funds respectively. The Pulicat bird sanctuary in Tiruvallur district and Karaivetti bird sanctuary in Ariyarlur district will also get integrated development projects budgeted at Rs 3.70 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively.