Agartala, January 16 (PTI): Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday launched a Rs 1,000-crore Sustainable Catchment Forest Management (SCATFORM) project for local communities living in and around forest areas in the state. Deb said people residing in such areas have been facing problems in accessing forest resources and water, due to soil erosion. "The project would help improve forests in the targeted catchment areas, and the ecosystem would be conserved. It would also create livelihood of the people living in and around the forest areas," he said. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would bear 80 per cent of the cost and the rest would be funded by the state and central governments. A total of 1,447 check dams will be set up in hilly areas in seven districts out of the total eight districts of Tripura within a timeframe of 10 years, the CM added.