A clean and green Chennai is the mantra on the lips of every environmentalist, bureaucrat or politician, who gets an opportunity to address any meting related to an environmental issue. There are several on going debates about the possibilities and success of making Chennai 'clean and green'. Due to industrialisation and urbanisation, the forest areas of Madras slowly changed to agricultural areas and finally into concrete jungles. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department with the help of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has planted more than 35,000 saplings in the year 2001 under the 'Green Belt for Abatement of Pollution Programme'.