Action plan to remove invasive species from Nilgiris; Collector appeals to residents to help

Officials of several government departments participated in a meeting to discuss a plan recently; over the last few decades, most of the Nilgiris has become overrun with invasive species, limiting food availability for local wildlife

An action plan to remove invasive species from the Nilgiris, was discussed during a recent meeting as part of the ‘Green Tamil Nadu Mission’ in Udhagamandalam.

According to officials in the district administration, the meeting was chaired by Nilgiris District Collector, S.P. Amrith, and attended by top Forest Department officials including District Forest Officers (Nilgiris and Gudalur), Sachin Bhosale Thukkaram and Kommu Omkaram, as well as officials from the Revenue, Highways and Horticulture Departments.

During the meeting, the main focus was on steps that can be undertaken by various government departments in order to effectively remove from the landscape, invasive species like wattle, Lantana camara, Cestrum aurantiacum, scotch broom and gorse, as well as exotic species like pine and eucalyptus. A presentation on the negative impacts of invasive and exotic flora on local biodiversity was also part of the meeting, officials said.

The Nilgiris Collector has also directed government departments where tree-planting is being undertaken, to ensure that the species being planted are native Shola species, and not exotics. The planted trees are also to be geo-tagged to ensure that they are not removed without requisite permissions, and officials were instructed to ensure that they were maintained post-planting. Nurseries were also told to take steps to grow more native species that can be planted in areas where exotic and invasive flora has been removed.

Efforts should also be undertaken to plant the trees on not just government lands, but also in private spaces. The Collector has appealed to local residents to assist the government in helping to remove invasive species from the landscape.

Over the last few decades, most of the Nilgiris has become overrun with invasive species, which limit the food availability for local wildlife. Due to the invasive species’ capabilities to spread rapidly, they have a propensity to take over native landscapes and reduce biodiversity, Forest Department officials explained.