Prosopis juliflora was uprooted on a large scale along the stretch of Ring Road in 46 Pudur Panchayat limits on the Poondurai tank bed and a few other locations on Friday in a combined initiative by Lions Club of Erode Kurinji and Erode District Earth Mover Owners Association with support from the Police Department.
The day-long operation was initiated by Superintendent of Police R.Sivakumar on the Armed Reserve Campus in Anaikalpalayam, in the presence of the president of Lions Club of Erode Kurinji Kanagarathnam.
Earth movers were operated for over six hours. Ten out of 33 earth movers were utilised at the Poondurai tank. The uprooted weed would be disposed of by the local bodies, said P.Venkatesh, Project Director for the task.
The Lions Club footed the fuel bill for the earth movers at the rate of ₹ 3,000 each. There was no hiring charge for the earth movers. The Police Department is hopeful about the initiative being replicated by other service organisations.
Initiatives taken by Punjai Puliampatti municipality, 10 village panchayats and Nanjai Uthukuli and Modakurichi Town Panchayats for cent per cent weed eradication came in for appreciation at a meeting chaired by District Collector S.Prabakar on Thursday.
Through a multi-pronged approach involving service organisations, farmers associations, environment organisations and government departments, 40 % of the weed on an expanse of 4,000 ha in the district have been removed so far. The Forest Department has undertaken the task in Arachalur, Bannari, Sathy and Burgur areas while the PWD has completed 70 % of the weed removal on tanks and other water bodies and courses.
Fifty seven tanks, ponds and check dams have been cleared of the weed and desilted by Bannari Rural Foundation in Sathy-Thalavadi areas.
Seven more tanks were being deepened. Likewise, in Erode city, Olirum Erodu Foundation has completed the process in 17 of 20 water bodies.
The deepening of Surampatti Anicut by Erodai reflected in large storage of water from the recent spell of rain, the Collector said.
Farmers associations and public had taken up cleaning, desilting and sustained maintenance of nine tanks in Kookalur town panchayat, he said.
