The district administration has chalked out a special programme for the eradication of ‘karuvelam’ (babool) trees, which caused much harm to the eco-system and environment, from the water bodies and in the rural areas.
Responding to the issue raised by A.R. Shanmugam, a progressive farmer of Panamarathupatti, at the farmers’ grievances day meeting held here on Friday, K. Maharabushanam, District Collector, said that he had already held discussion with the panchayat and town panchayat heads on the total eradication of ‘karuvelam’ and they have accepted to render their cooperation to this project.
The local bodies will provide all the needed help and manpower for the anti-karuvelam campaign. Farmers possessing equipment should come forward to give the same for the removal of the ‘karuvelam’ trees, the Collector said.
If the farmers are ready for this, the Collector said that he will again convene a meeting of the officials, farmers and panchayat heads soon.
“We will form special committees for monitoring the job of eradication of ‘karuvelam’ and the whole effort could be a joint initiative”, the Collector said.
Representatives of various farmers associations instantly announced their support for the programme, following which the Collector announced that the meeting for the formation of committees will be held next week itself.
C. Vaiyapuri, president of the United Farmers Association – Tamil Nadu, raised the issue of illegal tapping of groundwater from the dry river beds of rivers Sarabanga and Vasishtanadhi using pump sets by vested interests.
Many villages on the banks of these river are reeling under severe drought conditions and tapping the groundwater illegally that too for the interior rain-fed areas was totally unacceptable, he said. Mr. Vaiyapuri called upon the authorities to initiate stringent action the violators. The power connection to the pump sets should be severed at once, he added.
The Collector directed the TANGEDCO authorities to seize all the unauthorised pump sets.
He also directed S. Jayachandran, Revenue Divisional Officer, Attur, to conduct a survey on the banks of the rivers and present a report to him.
Mr. Shanmugam raised the issue of the minimum support price for paddy announced by the Centre recently. The Centre has raised the minimum support price by just Rs. 50 per quintal (from Rs. 1,360 to Rs. 1.410).
The hike is very paltry. The hike of fifty paise per kg will not benefit the farmers in any way, he said and pleaded with the Centre to further hike the minimum support price. Mr. Vaiyapuri and other farmers, too, supported him.
N. Perumal, president, Salem District Farmers Association, said that the housing cooperative societies have announced distraint proceedings against the defaulting farmers.
The Collector should direct the societies to suspend the distraint proceedings and provide more time to the farmers to repay the loan dues.
He also pleaded with the Collector to take steps for fixing reasonable price for tapioca.
K. Madeswaran, Assistant Meteorologist, India Meteorological Department, said that the district has experienced widespread summer rainfall.
Against the normal rainfall of 26.4 mm in the months of April, May and June, the district got 309.1 mm rainfall, he said.
