Thoothukudi's green initiatives; Man-made forest, park revivals and global partnerships
A significant effort in this initiative includes the development of man-made forest at the Tharuvaikulam dumping yard for the past six years.
The corporation owns around 578 acres along the Tharuvaikulam road, which has been utilized for waste dumping, since the time the city was classified under Municipality limits. Other than the mountain's bio and non-biodegradable wastes at the site ,the remaining area was overgrown with Prosopis juliflora and thick bushes. At this juncture, to reclaim and transform this space, the corporation has begun clearing the invasive vegetation and is working to establish a man made forest in the region.
This initiative began in 2019, with two acres of land chosen for the pilot project. Through bio mining, the dumped waste was removed and the land was prepared for planting trees. Initially 2,000 tree saplings were planted in the area on a trial basis. Although the project faced a setback in 2021 due to shortage of water, the Corporation revived the nearby sewage treatment and used the treated water to support the plants.
By 2024, the corporation has planted around 1.5 lakh trees in various phases, including occasions such as Chief Minister's birthday and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions.
Currently two private firms have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thoothukudi corporation, one firm has committed to planting trees across 100 acres, while other will cover 25 acres of land.
Tree species such as neem, Manila tamarind (Kodukkapuli), pungan, guava and others were planted at the site.
In addition, the corporation has also partnered with the UK government for the project 'PACT-Digi-PULSE' advancing Carbon-Neutral Transitions using Digital-Twin Based planning for URban Living and Sustainable Environment. The project led by IIT-Madras with consortium partners will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emission, enhancing climate resilience and creating a replicable model for sustainable urban planning and mobility.
Another major green initiative of the Thoothukudi corporation includes the restoration of city parks. Of the total 206 park sites, only 57 are currently in public use. The corporation is working on developing mini forest in the park spaces, particularly focusing on wards 16,17 and 18.
Speaking about the initiatives, Thoothukudi Corporation Mayor Jegan Periyasamy stated that the city's green projects will bring long term environmental benefits as we are focusing on the plants producing high levels of oxygen. He emphasised the significance of 'PACT-Digi-PULSE' project and noted that an expert team had recently arrived in the city for assessment, a step that would support better urban planning in future.
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