517 villages in Tamil Nadu are seemai karuvelam-free: Tamil Nadu government tells Madras High Court

The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that 517 villages spread across 32 districts have become free of seemai karuvelam (prosopis juliflora), an exotic and invasive plant species considered harmful to the ecology and the maintenance of groundwater table.

In a report filed before a Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, through senior counsel P. Wilson, the government listed out the 517 villages that had been declared seemai karuvelam-free and said, the eradication work was on in other villages too.

However, amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji and M. Santhanaraman cautioned the removal work should not be sporadic in nature, and without a concerted effort between all relevant government departments, since there was every chance of regrowth of the invasive species.

Judges to hold field inspection

Concurring with the amici curiae, the judges wrote: “The invasive species has a tendency to spread and regrow and therefore, even the effort which is taken will become vain if it is not removed in a concerted manner like combing operation and maintaining the area seemai karuvelam-free forever.”

When the judges wanted at least one entire district in Tamil Nadu to be declared as seemai karuvelam-free on a pilot basis, Mr. Wilson said, a high level meeting on the issue was held on August 25 and the government would soon come up with an action plan for replacing the exotic species with native trees.

After deciding to go on a personal inspection to one or two of the 517 villages declared as seemai karuvelam-free, the judges said, any person could bring to their notice as to whether all those villages were actually free from the invasive species and whether there had been any regrowth.

The village list

The list submitted in the court included Kallankurichi, Asthinapuram, Koman, Sembiyakudi, Kumizhiyam, Kuzhumor, Kazhumangalam, Devamangalam, Kodukkur, Kavarapalayam and Kodangudi and Anaikudam villages in Ariyalur district.

It also had Keezhathivakkam, Thozhupedu, Mealmaruvathur, Kolathur, Karunilam, Kayarambedu, Koovathur, Nerkunapattu, Devadur, Avrimedu, P.V.Kalathur, Vengampakkam, Madayathur, Velichai, Medavakkam and Siththaalapaakam in Chengalpattu district.

Nellithurai, Odanthurai, Chinnathadagam, Veerapandi, Arisipalayam and Thathur in Coimbatore district and Pillali, Vellapakkam, Kotlampakkam, Maligaimedu, Purangani, Vallam, Nainarkuppam, Aadur, Agaram, Karaimedu, Veeramudaiyanatham, Thillaividangan, Keezhaperambai, Sethiyur and Vada Hari Rajapuram in Cuddalore district too were in the list.

Karthanur, Puliyampatti, Regadahalli, Anjehalli, Selliyampatti, Soodanur and Karakathahalli in Dharmapuri district and Pithalaipatti, N. Panjampatti, P. Viralipatti, Sandhaiyur, Anaipatti, M.M. Kovilur, Chinnaluppai, Vanikkarai, Reddiyapatti, Paraliputhur, Musuvanuthu, Jambuthuraikottai, Idayakottai, Valaiyapatti, Thamaraikulam, Kalikkanayakkanpatti, Karisalpatti, Alagupatti, Veerasinnapatti, Avilipatti, Kallimandhayam, Vilvathampatti, Komberipatti, Velayuthapalayam and Chithoor Kuttam in Dindigul district too had been declared Seemai Karuvelam free.

The other villages included Koorapalayam, Palamangalam, Velampalayam, Elunoothimangalam, Vallipuram, Ponmudi, Keelwani, Moongilpatti, Kullampalayam, Naathipalayam, Olalakovil, Lagampalayam, Odayagoundanpalayam, Pullappanaickenpalayam, Konamoolai, Pudupeerkadavu, Nochikuttai and Panayampalli in Erode district

Prithivimangalam, Aviyur, Karadi, Trunjipattu, Tirupalapandhal, Eswarkandanallur, Lakkinaickenpatti, Naninarpalayam, Anumanandhal, Kadathur, Thengiyanatham, Andhiyur, Prividayampattu, Kilakkadu, Pullur, A.Sathanur, Pidagam, Anganur, Periyakurukkai, Kattuedaiyar in Kallakurichi district and Muthavedu, Perumbakkam, Karasangal, Varadharajapuram, Olaiyur, Pazhaveri, Ekkanampettai and Melpodavur in Kancheepuram district too found place in the list.

The list also included villages in Karur, Krishnagiri, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Perambalur, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet, Salem, Tenkasi, Thanjavur, Thoothukudi, Tiruchi, Theni, Tirunelveli, Tirupattur, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Cheyyar, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar districts.