Committed to the abolition of Seemai Karuvelam, Government of Tamil Nadu. HC. tells to

The state government on Wednesday asserted before the Madras High Court that it was committed to eliminate Seemai karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora), an invasive and exotic species, from the state due to its ill effects. Appearing before the first division bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharat Chakraborty, Additional Advocate General S. Silambanan said, a detailed plan will be prepared soon. The judges asked the AAG as well as Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu, who was present in the court, to study how other states in the country are dealing with the invasive species and adopt the best practices followed there. When the Chief Justice wanted to know when and why the exotic species was introduced in Tamil Nadu, he was told that it was former Chief Minister K. It was to help green the dry fallow lands in the state during the reign of Kamaraja. Ms. Sahu told the bench that Seema Karuvelam Eggs hatch in forest areas and inhibit the development of other species. He also pointed out that it obstructs the movement of wild animals like elephants in the forests. Further, stating that some industries use Seema Karuvelam as firewood, the Secretary said, since the livelihood of many people was dependent on these trees, the invasive species should be dealt with in a phased manner. However, the Chief Justice said that he was aware of the invasive species being used as firewood in industries and warned officials against succumbing to the industrial lobby. The primary concern should be to protect the environment, he said.