Tamil Nadu launches Project Sezhumai Karuvoolam for eradication of invasive Prosopis juliflora

Key facts

• The Madras High Court (HC) ordered the implementation of project Sezhumai Karuvoolam (fertile repository) to eradicate the invasive species Seemai Karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora) from Tamil Nadu.
• A special committee comprising former judges Justice A Selvam and Justice V Bharathidasan has been appointed to supervise the eradication process.
• Private landowners must uproot the species within 30 days, failing which the Block Development Officer (BDO) will remove them and recover costs at ₹5,000 per acre for dense vegetation and ₹2,000 per acre for less dense growth.
• The court mandated that identification and auctioning of the species be completed within four months, with total removal finished within another six months.
• District Collectors (DC) are designated as the central authorities responsible for mechanical removal of the plants and for planting native species on public lands.
• The State Environment Secretary will create a dedicated webpage and dashboard to track removal, auctions, and replanting progress.
• A dedicated mobile phone number will be maintained for the project to allow the public to report sightings of the invasive species via geotagged photographs on social media platforms.
• In sensitive areas such as Vedanthangal, where the species serves as nesting sites for birds, removal will be carried out in a phased manner with simultaneous alternative planting.