Vaiko urges Tamil Nadu government to take action to eradicate Prosopis juliflora

Vaiko urges Tamil Nadu government to eradicate Prosopis juliflora, emphasizing environmental protection and community involvement in the initiative.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko has appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to take sustained action for eradicating Prosopis juliflora (karuvelam trees) across the State. The move would save the environment as well as waterbodies, he said.

Prosopis juliflora, Mr. Vaiko said, was a “demon of the soil” and ruined the livelihoods of farmers. “A collective approach by the government by roping in multiple stakeholders would put an end to this,” he told mediapersons at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday.

The MDMK leader had filed a writ in the High Court praying for removal of the invasive species in the larger public interest of the State. However, he did not stop there. After the writ was admitted, Mr. Vaiko, accompanied by hundreds of residents, began clearing the trees from his native Kalingapatti village. MDMK cadre also organised awareness programmes across the State. The different wings in the party collectively engaged the volunteers and removed karuvelam trees.

In many southern districts, the campaign to raise awareness on the ill-effects of karuvelam trees was conducted in educational institutions, Mr. Vaiko recalled, and said the Tamil Nadu government, which had been progressive in many spheres, should form steering committees and ensure the environment was protected on a war footing.

District Collectors should also take stock of eradication programmes and interact with the panchayat-level leaders. Eradicating the invasive plant should be a people’s movement, which will bring about the much-needed change, Mr. Vaiko asserted. To achieve this goal, he said the government should create a mobile application and launch the programme in the digital sphere.

Appreciating Mr. Vaiko for taking up a public cause, advocates said when major parties were engaged in consultations on seat-sharing and other preparations ahead of the Assembly election, the presence of the veteran politician here showed his commitment to the people.