The removal of ‘seemai karuvelam’ (prosopis juliflora), found in abundance in both government and poramboke lands across the district, once again dominated the proceeding in the farmers’ grievances day meeting held here on Friday.
The farmers got their hopes renewed on the removal of this weed, thanks to assurance given by the District Collector V. Sampath, who presided over the meeting.
A.R. Shanmugam, president, Salem District Agricultural Production Committee, explained the serious impact of the ‘seemai karuvelam’ on the depleting water sources and sought to know the action initiated so far to eradicate this weed.
A senior official from the Panchayat Department said that a meeting of the panchayat presidents was held on June 26 to discuss the steps to be taken for the total removal of this weed. It has also been decided to utilise the services of the workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) for uprooting these trees.
A cross criticised the official machinery for not initiating any step towards the eradication of this weed.
N. Elango, Joint Director of Agriculture, intervened and said that a case on the issue of eradication of the ‘seemai karuvelam’ is pending in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. He said that the Government has proposed to introduce a special programme to eradicate this weed. The Agriculture Department has already eradicated the ‘karuvelam’ weed in the government seed farms in the district.
The Department has also initiated to remove the ‘karuvelam’ trees wherever funds are available.
Mr. Elango suggested that farmers could themselves remove the trees on their patta lands.
C. Vaiyapuri, president, United Farmers Association – Tamil Nadu, said that ‘karuvelam’ trees grow up fast immediately after monsoon period and pleaded for uprooting them then and there.
The Collector said that the district administration would chalk out a plan of action for the removal of this weed. It would be removed by using the services of the MNREGS workers. Already, the MNREGS workers are involved in this work in some village panchayats.
He said that the ‘karuvelam’ trees have already been uprooted from the poramboke lands in 17 village panchayats in Kadayampatti block. These panchayats have also auctioned such trees grown in the water bodies.
The Collector also directed the panchayat officials to ensure the removal of these trees under the bushes clearance scheme too.
Published - September 27, 2015 12:00 am IST
