The Ariyar Division of the Public Works Department has launched a drive to remove the ‘seemai karuvelam’ (prosopis juliflora) trees from the city stretches of Koraiyar, Ariyar and Edaichuvari.
The PWD has deployed earth movers to remove the trees from Koraiyar river and along its bunds. The river stretch from Edamalaipattipudur and downstream has witnessed lush growth of these trees over the years. The trees are being removed from about 4.5 km of the river stretch, Ariyar Division officials told The Hindu .
Similarly, the trees are being removed on Ariyar and Edaichuvari for a total length about four km.
Officials said the drive has been on for about a week now and nearly two-thirds of the stretches have been covered. The remaining stretches would be covered within the next few days, they said and indicated that removal of the trees from tanks and other water courses under the division in the district is likely to be taken up in the next phase.
The move comes in the wake of a recent direction from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court to Collectors of all 13 districts under its jurisdiction to weed out ‘seemai karuvelam’ trees from water bodies, river courses and all other places. The Bench had ordered that individual reports be filed before the court on the removal of the trees. The Corporation has also launched a similar drive to remove the trees from public places and earth movers were seen operating in Anna Nagar and other places on Monday.