In an unprecedented move, the Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday sprung into action and launched the work on removing seemai karuvelam (prosopis juliflora) trees along the Vaigai riverbed, without waiting for the government funds.
Justice A. Selvam, administrative judge of the Bench, inaugurated the uprooting work near Viraganoor dam here with the funds raised by the court through donations and by channelising costs imposed on litigants in different cases. .
Justices T.S. Sivagnanam, P.N. Prakash and C.V. Karthikeyan also participated in the inaugural function attended by the Collectors of Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts. Justices N. Kirubakaran, S. Vaidyanathan and P. Kalaiyarasan too joined the work, personally inspecting the complete removal of the trees in various districts.
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Mr. Justice Selvam praised Collectors for allowing the work on the entire river stretch flowing through their districts. Earlier, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram Collectors handed over ₹2.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh respectively – the contributions received from their districts for the cause.
“The money generated by the Collectors, and deposited in the bank account operated by the court, would be handed over to the respective district administrations for uprooting seemai karuvelam trees. More funds would be raised depending upon the need and the works proposed to be carried out,” a court official said.
The official said the High Court had also planned to clear the Cauvery of the karuvelam trees. The court had decided to raise funds after Collectors complained of lack of funds.
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“The High Court had on February 27 directed the State government to enact a special law within two months with prohibitory and penal clauses for eradicating seemai karuvelam from public and private lands. Though the deadline was fast approaching, the government had maintained a stoic silence. Therefore, the High Court had sprung into action,” he added.
Life convicts
Advocate R. Alagumani said the order passed by a Division Bench led by Mr. Justice Selvam for eradicating seemai karuvelam trees had now turned into people’s movement with even life convicts languishing in prisons coming forward to donate money into the bank account opened by the High Court for the cause.
“I visited the Central Prisons in Madurai, Tiruchi and Tirunelveli and made an appeal to the prisoners to clear the prison premises of the invasive species. The appeal was taken in the right earnest and all the prisons have now been cleared of seemai karuvelam trees,” he said.