Senna spectabilis will be eradicated from T.N. forests by October 2025, Govt. tells Madras High Court

Madras High Court aims to eradicate invasive species from Tamil Nadu forests by October 1, 2025.

The Madras High Court on Monday saw light at the end of the tunnel with respect to its long-drawn efforts to eradicate exotic and invasive species from the forests of Tamil Nadu. It was informed that one such species, Senna spectabilis, would be completely eradicated from the forests by October 1, 2025.

A Special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, seized of a batch of forest and wildlife-related cases, was informed that only 28,000 tonnes of Senna spectabilis was yet to be removed from the forests in the State, and it had been planned to uproot them completely in a year’s time.

Special Government Pleader (Forests) T. Srinivasan and amici curiae Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji, and M. Santhanaraman brought it to the notice of the judges that the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) and Seshasayee Papers and Boards Limited would be allotted 14,000 tonnnes each of the invasive species.

On being told that negotiations were also on with both paper companies for quoting a better price for the timber, the judges said, the negotiations could take place in order to make the firms offer the best possible price but that should not end up being a reason for stopping or postponing the eradication activity.

“We hope and trust that the entire Senna spectabilis is removed from the forests in Tamil Nadu by October 1, 2025,” the judges said, and insisted on giving an impetus to the removal of Lantana camara too. They ordered the establishment of a briquetting unit by the Forest Department in order to complete the process of eradication.

Though the Bench was told that there were many private briquetting units, the judges insisted that the department should also establish an unit of its own either at Masinagudi, Gudalur, or any suitable location in order to complete the cutting down of Lantana camara and converting them into briquettes for fuel.

Making it clear that there need not be two opinions or afterthoughts on establishing the first briquetting unit at the earliest, the judges asked the SGP to get instructions in this regard by Friday. They wanted the quickest tender process to be followed for the establishment of the unit.