Environment Minister announces ₹24 crore to improve climate literacy

State Minister for Environment and Climate Change Thangam Thennarasu. File
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

State Minister for Finance, Environment and Climate Change Thangam Thennarasu on Saturday (April 26, 2025) announced that the State government would spend ₹24 crore to expand eco-clubs in schools and organise nature camps and State-level competitions in order to create a movement focused on imparting climate literacy in Tamil Nadu.

Making these announcements in the Assembly during Demands for Grants, Mr. Thennarasu said the bio-shield programme would be expanded at a cost of ₹8.45 crore to protect coastal habitats from severe impact of climate change and rehabilitate them.

“As part of this effort, approximately 195 hectares of mangroves and 30 hectares of casuarina were planted, while 395 hectares of degraded mangrove forests were restored. In continuation, the bio-shield programme will be expanded to the coastal districts of Cuddalore and Thoothukudi with a proposed budget of ₹8.45 crore. This initiative will integrate native tree species, mangroves, and salt-tolerant crops to strengthen coastal resilience, support local livelihoods, enhance carbon sequestration, and establish a sustainable natural buffer against climate impacts,” he said.

He also added that the State government would undertake ‘Restoration and Afforestation’ of Sanjeevi Malai in Rajapalayam to restore degraded landscapes, enhance biodiversity and contribute to the State’s broader goal of carbon neutrality.

Further, it had initiated the restoration of six waterbodies — Kothankulam, Karunkulam, Kondaneri Kanmai, Alathankulam, Kammapatti Kanmai, Periyadhikulam — and 20 odais connecting the waterbodies with a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate them and ensure their long-term sustainability by addressing the issues of rapid urbanisation, pollution and threat by invasive species at a cost of ₹16 crore.

Mr. Thennarasu also announced ecological restoration of abandoned mines in Madukkarai to transform them into sustainable, productive, and biodiversity-friendly landscapes.