Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at World Environment Day Celebration in Chennai Trade Centre on Thursday.
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VELANKANNI RAJ B
No other state in India has so many movements and programmes for environmental protection as Tamil Nadu has, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Thursday. “Our dream is not just a one trillion dollar economy, but it should be a green economy,” he said.
In the last four years, the State has taken many initiatives, including Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company, Tamil Nadu Green Mission to increase the forest cover. The State also launched Tamil Nadu Wetland Mission and has created a record of having the highest number of 21 Ramsar recognised wetlands in India. Through the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Project, the State government is trying to control carbon emission, he said.
He was speaking at an event to celebrate World Environment Day. Stalin also laid the foundation stone for the Research and Development Centre of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to be constructed at Guindy at a cost of ₹44 crore.
Pioneer State
“There is a strong link between biodiversity and climate change. Tamil Nadu is the pioneer State releasing this and acting accordingly,” he said.
Through the ‘Tamil Nadu Neithal Restoration Project’, the State government is strengthening the resilience of key coastal areas at an estimated cost of ₹1,675 crore in collaboration with the World Bank, he said. In the last four years, over 7,000 hectares of 65 new forest reserves have been notified and given legal protection, he added.
Further, seven wildlife sanctuaries including Agasthyamalai Elephant Reserve and South Cauvery Wildlife Reserve, have been brought under the Protected Area Network. In addition, the State has created 2,403 hectares of new mangrove forests and restored 1,207 hectares of degraded mangroves, he said.
In 2021, the State government launched the “Back to Manjappai” scheme to fight plastic pollution. Today, the government is expanding the campaign to fight marine pollution. An initiative is being launched to remove ‘abandoned’ fishing nets in all the 14 coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.
Published on June 5, 2025