Tamil Nadu Govt Launches Initiative To Digitise Demarcation Of Forest Boundaries

The Forest Department of Tamil Nadu state government took the initiative to digitise various forest-related activities through a project named 'Tamil Nadu Digital Forests'. The project takes stock of valuable forest resources and digitises forest boundaries to identify encroachments and control them. As reported by The Hindu, an amount of Rs 33.10 crores was sanctioned by the government for the next two years to carry out a digital GPS survey and collect a geo-database with details about boundaries.

"The initiative will help in making evidence-based decisions whenever a project comes for approval," Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu said, as reported by The New Indian Express.

Digitisation- An Important Step Towards Forest Conservation

Forest boundaries have been subject to inconsistency, and encroachments of forest places is a common sight in many areas. Tamil Nadu has taken measures to curb this practice of forest encroachment through the digitisation of information regarding forest boundaries. Creating a digital map of forest boundaries will clear the ambiguity and make it easy for forest officials to take an informed decision without harming forests and wildlife. As reported by TNIE, officials said,

"If there is a central repository of a geospatial database, where boundaries of every reserve forest, wildlife corridors, eco-sensitive zones, wetlands and zones of influence are digitally demarcated, then it becomes seamlessly easy to delineate and make informed decisions."

The government order also said that the digitisation project would help to real-time monitor forest fires, plantation activities etc. and report human-wildlife conflicts.

IT Wing of TN Forest Department

The IT wing of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department uses technology to assist forest-related activities. It speeds up data collection, storage and dissemination, marking boundaries, identifying ecologically sensitive areas, etc. The information is collected and utilised for the management of the forest. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department's workers receive hands-on training in using the Geographical Information System (GIS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) (GPS).

Also Read: Opinion: Patriarchy, Power Is Root Cause Of Rape Culture In India