CHENNAI: A full bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to frame a scheme within two weeks for complete uprooting of the invasive prosopis juliflora (Seemai Karuvelam) trees.
The bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari, Justices N Sathish Kumar and PD Audikesavalu observed that the invasive weeds harm soil fertility and groundwater table. The judges maintained that mere chopping down would not yield the desired results but only complete uprooting would serve the purpose.
Expressing displeasure over the long delay in executing orders of the court, passed in 2017 for removal of the trees, they suggested utilisation of MGNREGA funds for the purpose and said the process must be done under the supervision of concerned district collectors.
The judges also felt formation of committee after committee would only drag the matter. Additional Advocate General S Silambanan submitted that work for removal of the weeds has been taken in a step-by-step manner and informed that reports have been sought from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
An expert committee for scientific removal of the species has also been set up, the court was told. An appropriate plan will be formulated after receiving the reports, he added. However, the judges said the process has not been completed even after four and a half years.
It may be noted MDMK general secretary Vaiko, former Mayor of Madurai municipal corporation M Patturajan, advocate V Meganathan and several others filed the petitions before the High Court. Subsequently, the court passed an order on July 28, 2017 for removal of prosopis juliflora trees.
Differing views were expressed on the adverse impact of total removal of the invasive weeds by expert committees formed in the years.
Plea to postpone med admissions rejected
Chennai: The Madras High Court dismissed as withdrawn, a petition filed by former MLA V Cauvery seeking to postpone UG admissions in government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, until the Supreme Court pronounces orders on an appeal against quashing of the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyar community within the MBC quota. Justice V Dhandapani warned the petitioner of imposing costs and questioned as to why he had preferred to file the petition despite the fact that the matter has been pending before the apex court. When he warned of imposing `1 lakh costs, Cauvery’s counsel withdrew the petition.
Court imposes Rs 10K cost on petitioner
Chennai: Dismissing a PIL petition seeking orders to display notice boards in government offices warning against corruption, the Madras High Court on Wednesday imposed costs on the petitioner and debarred him from filing PILs for two years. The first bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesavalu dismissed the petition filed by Madurai-based KK Ramesh, censuring him for filing the PIL without doing any research. The bench asked him to withdraw the petition but when Ramesh insisted on accepting his plea, the bench imposed costs of Rs 10,000, apart from debarring him to file PILs for two years.