Removal of seemai karuvelam trees: farmers flay officials

They raise the issue at the monthly grievance meeting

Farmers speaking at the grievance meeting in Madurai on Friday.

Allegations of non-cooperation from Public Works Department and Forest Department in removal of seemai karuvelam (prosopsis juliflora) trees dominated the monthly farmers’ grievance meeting here on Friday.

A section of farmers alleged that despite them showing interest in removing seemai karuvelam growth in some of the waterbodies, they were made to run between PWD and Forest Department to obtain necessary approvals and a no objection certificate.

“Neither of them give a proper response. If we contact PWD, we are asked to approach Forest Department officials first. If we ask Forest officials, they ask us to contact the PWD,” alleged N. Palanichamy, State President of Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Farmers’ Association.

A. Eswaran, from Kacharayanpatti near Melur, claimed that he had been trying, in vain, for the past few months to get approval for removing the seemai karuvelam growth in the PWD-maintained Perumarudhu tank in the village. “Around 50 acres of the tank has seemai karuvelam trees. The

ayacut farmers are willing to remove the trees. However, PWD is saying that they have to assess the value of the wood in consultation with the Forest Department. We need to pay the value to get permission for removing the trees,” he said.

Farmers also complained that, though the district administration had intensified the removal of seemai karuvelam trees owing to the order from the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, the growth in several government buildings were yet to be removed.

Alleging presence of seemai karuvelam growth in the Sedapatti Block Development Office, K. Thanikodi, a farmer, said that the trees had not been removed despite making a representation several times with the Block Development Officer.

Another farmer alleged that a PWD depot in Alagarkoil Road was filled with seemai karuvelam trees.

Responding to the allegations, District Revenue Officer K. Veluchamy, who presided over the meeting initially for sometime, instructed PWD and Forest officials to immediately issue no objection certificates for seemai karuvelam removal.

“The work is being carried out in a mission mode. Anyone coming forward to remove the trees in a place, should be encouraged and given permission. Focus should not be on bringing revenue to the government from the wood. It should be on removing the trees,” he said.

He also assured them that steps would be taken immediately to remove seemai karuvelam trees, if any, from government offices.