In a significant move to bolster wildlife protection, the Tamil Nadu government has officially established a Governing Committee and an Executive Committee. These vital bodies will oversee and manage the newly launched Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund.
The formal order, dated November 1, was issued by Supriya Sahu, the Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forests Department.
This dedicated fund, initially set up in November 2024 with a substantial corpus of ₹50 crore and an initial seed sanction of ₹5 crore, aims to significantly enhance conservation efforts for endangered species throughout the state. While originally managed by the State Forest Development Agency, the government has now entrusted its administration to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in Vandalur. This strategic shift ensures more specialized scientific oversight and management.
The Governing Committee, presided over by the Chief Secretary to the Government, will provide strategic direction for the fund’s utilization and growth. The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Environment, Climate Change, and Forests Department, will serve as its Vice-Chairperson. Key members also include Secretaries from the Finance and Industries Departments; the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force); the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden; the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of AIWC; the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board; the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board; the Director of Environment; and representatives from the National Biodiversity Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India. The Director of the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, is also a member.
This committee is mandated to convene at least once every four months and will serve for a three-year tenure.
Adding a layer of diverse expertise, the Governing Committee also welcomes several distinguished experts and philanthropists as tenurial members. These include Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies; Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE); J.K. Patterson Edward, Director of Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute, Thoothukudi; K. Jayakumar, Professor at Madurai Kamaraj University; S. Balachandran, Managing Trustee of the Migratory Bird Monitoring Trust and former Deputy Director of the Bombay Natural History Society; and Arumugam, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Broadline Technologies.
Responsible for the fund’s daily operations, the Executive Committee is chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Environment, Climate Change, and Forests Department. Its members comprise the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of AIWC; the Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board; the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife); the Chief Conservator of Forests (Research); and the Director of Environment. The Deputy Director (Administration) of AIWC will act as the Member Convener, with Project Leaders from each funded initiative joining as special invitees.
The Executive Committee’s crucial role involves supervising project implementation, actively monitoring conservation activities, mobilizing additional resources, and ultimately ensuring that the fund effectively achieves its overarching goals of protecting and restoring Tamil Nadu’s invaluable endangered species.