The Public Works Department on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court Bench here that it would require Rs. 809.46 crore to remove ‘seemai karuvelam’ (prosopis juliflora) trees, considered harmful to ecology, from 2.08 lakh hectares in the southern districts.
The submission was made in reply to a public interest litigation petition filed and argued by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko seeking a direction to the State government and 13 Collectors under its jurisdiction to weed out seemai karuvelam.
In the report submitted before a Division Bench of Justices R. Sudhakar and V.M. Velumani, the Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, PWD, said that it would take about two years to remove the trees which could fetch Rs. 120.55 crore on being sold in open market.
Giving specific details with respect to the growth of the trees in tanks, river courses, dam water spread areas and supply channels in Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari, he said that the trees had actually grown on 2.25 lakh hectares.
Similarly, the Collectors of Madurai, Theni, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar and Karur too filed individual reports, as directed by the court on September 11, listing steps taken by them so far to uproot the trees from waterbodies, river courses and other places as directed by the court on January 9 last.
However, since the Collectors of eight other districts were yet to file their reports, the Division Bench adjourned the case till October 15, and said that Mr. Vaiko’s request to permit him to clear the trees from his hometown Kalingapatti in Tirunelveli district would be considered on that day.