Urging Collector M. Karunakaran to stop planting of eucalyptus trees on over 1,000 acres of land belonging to Swamy Nellaiyappar Gandhimathi Ambal Temple in Nanguneri taluk, farmers and shepherds from various villages submitted a petition stating that this move would wipe out grasslands.
The petitioners from Ramanujampudhur and Nagalkulam said Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department had given on lease 1,000 acres of land belonging to the temple to Tamil Nadu Newsprints Limited for planting eucalyptus trees, one of the raw materials for manufacturing newsprint.
“The grassland on 1,000 acre is feeding over 20,000 cattle being reared in 20 villages, including Paruththipadu, Rengasamudhram, Devendraperi, Reddiyarpatti, Nagalkulam, Perumal Nagar, Moolaikkaraipatti, Chinnamoolaikkaraipatti, Chinthamani, Ramanujampudhur and Cherankulam. If the land is given on lease to the TNPL, it will seriously affect the shepherds depending on the cattle for livelihood. Moreover, eucalyptus trees will affect groundwater table in Nanguneri taluk, a rain-shadow region,” said the farmers.
Tirunelveli MLA A.L.S. Lakshmanan, along with people of Thenkalam, Nallammalpuram, Puliyankottaram, Thenkalampudhur, Pallamadai, Pallikottai, Kuppunapuram and Alavanthankulam also submitted similar petition against the proposal.
Mr. Lakshmanan said plantain cultivated on a few hundred acres in Pazhavoor, Kondanagaram and Kallur had suffered extensive damage in the recent gale and paddy cultivated in the areas adjoining Tirunelveli Town had withered due to paucity of water. Hence, officials from the Departments of Revenue and Agriculture should be deputed to jointly assess crop damage for giving compensation.
A group of residents of O. Thulukkarpatti and P. Ilanthaikulam submitted a petition seeking bifurcation of their village panchayats as gram sabha meetings held recently had passed resolutions in this connection.
Members of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam submitted a petition seeking shifting of Melapalayam Market Corner liquor shop situated near places of worship and a few hundred houses.
A group of women from Pettai said their area and the adjoining villages had not been well-connected by bus service though over 750 students from their areas were going to schools and colleges. The bus (route number 6A), which was operated thrice a day through Kunnaththur had been diverted via Keezha Thiruvenkatanathapuram forcing the students to walk for about 2 km to take the bus.
Cadres of Thamizhaga Makkal Jananayaga Katchi submitted a petition appealing to the district administration to make arrangements for giving compulsory swimming training to students as the incidents of youths drowning in the water bodies were on the rise.
The move, they said would not only wipe out grasslands but also affect the groundwater table in the area
