Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu on Tuesday handed over 1 lakh palmyah seeds to officials of five southern districts.
At a simple function at the Tirunelveli district Collectorate , Mr. Appavu handed over the seeds to the agriculture department officials from Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari and Ramanathapuram where they will be planted through the department.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Appavu said palmyrah, the State tree, could be seen abundantly everywhere till a few decades ago. But now, they were seen only on 9,386 hectares across Tamil Nadu and Tirunelveli had the trees only on 795 hectares even though every part of this tree was useful to the people. Rapidly growing urbanisation wiped out the trees in areas closer to the towns and the cities. They were cut to be used as fuel in the brick kiln and the construction industry in Tamil Nadu.
The government, therefore, banned the cutting of the trees and made it mandatory that these dry land trees could be cut when it was absolutely necessary after getting permission from the officials. Since Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had rolled out the plan to plant 1 lakh palmyrah seeds across Tamil Nadu every year, the seeds were being sponsored on behalf of the Speaker every year.
“Each palmyrah fruit, having two or three seeds, will become as many trees to bear fruits within 10 or 15 years if we plant them in half-feet deep pits and protect them. So, a minimum of 2 lakh trees will be grown every year in Tamil Nadu through this mission if we can take forward the programme with utmost sincerity,” Mr. Appavu said.
He said the villagers of Anthoniyarpuram near Thoothukudi Collectorate were paying the salary of the management staff working in the government-aided primary school in the village with the profit they make every year through selling ‘pathaneer’ (neera) being tapped by the palmyrah climbers of the village.
In the presence of District Collector V. Vishnu and Corporation Commissioner V. Sivakrishnamurthy, the Speaker handed over the seeds to the Agriculture Department officials.
Joint Director of Agriculture, Tirunelveli, David Dennison, Deputy Director of Horticulture Balakrishnan and others were present on the occasion.
