TN restructures management of Rs 50 crore endangered species conservation fund

Chennai, Nov 4 (IANS) In a major conservation initiative, the Tamil Nadu government has restructured the management of the Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund (TNESCF), a Rs 50 crore corpus aimed at protecting and restoring endangered species and their habitats across the State.

According to a Government Order issued by Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, the administration of the fund has been shifted from the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), Vandalur.

The move is intended to bring greater scientific rigour and institutional focus to the programme. The government has constituted two committees -- a Governing and an Executive -- to oversee the fund's operations.

The Governing Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, will meet once every four months to guide the fund's strategic direction. It includes senior officials from key departments -- Finance, Industries, and Environment. It will also include conservationists and philanthropists, including Rohini Nilekani, Mallika Srinivasan, J. K. Patterson Edward, S. Balachandran, and K. Jayakumar.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden will serve as the Member-Convener.

The Executive Committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Environment, Climate Change and Forests), will handle the day-to-day operations, approve project proposals, and monitor their implementation.

Senior representatives from the AIWC, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and the Forest Department are part of this panel. Initially seeded with Rs 5 crore last year, the TNESCF will fund projects for species recovery, habitat restoration, and community-based conservation across the State. It will also mobilise additional resources from both public and private sectors to expand conservation finance in Tamil Nadu.

The first phase of the programme will focus on four lesser-known endangered species - the Lion-Tailed Macaque, Madras Hedgehog, Striped Hyena, and Hump-Headed Mahseer.

Each of these species faces distinct ecological pressures, ranging from fragmented habitats and poaching to invasive species and pollution.

Tamil Nadu, home to landscapes spanning the Western and Eastern Ghats, is globally recognised as a biodiversity hotspot. However, officials note that urgent conservation efforts are essential to safeguard its fragile ecosystems and protect these unique species from extinction.

--IANS

aal/svn