Retired HC judge judge inspects waterbodies cleared of invasive trees in Pudukottai

Retired Madras High Court judge A. Selvam on Monday inspecting waterbodies in Pudukottai district where prosopis juliflora (seemai karuvelam) trees have been removed.

| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Retired Madras High Court judge A. Selvam on Monday inspected waterbodies in Ponnamaravathi block of Pudukottai district where invasive prosopis juliflora (seemai karuvelam) trees had been removed as part of efforts to restore and protect water resources.Pudukottai District Collector M. Aruna accompanied him. The exercise was undertaken to assess the progress of the removal of invasive trees from waterbodies in compliance with directions issued by the Madras High Court for protecting water resources and improving their storage capacity.Mr. Selvam inspected the work carried out at Ulagandar Oorani and Karuppar Koil Oorani in Nallur panchayat, Koppanapatti Kanmai in Koppanapatti panchayat, Kaattu Kanmai and Sangana Oorani in Kattupatti panchayat, and Thirumakkeni Kanmai in Thottiyampatti panchayat.During the inspection, officials briefed him on the extent of the areas cleared, the progress of the work undertaken, and the present condition of the waterbodies. He reviewed the steps taken to improve water-holding capacity and restore the natural ecosystem of the tanks and ponds.Mr. Selvam said the removal of prosopis juliflora would help preserve the natural character of waterbodies, enhance rainwater storage capacity and contribute to the improvement of groundwater levels. He instructed the officials to ensure continuous maintenance of the waterbodies and to prevent the regrowth and spread of the invasive species by removing them from the roots and carrying out regular monitoring. Published - June 08, 2026 07:02 pm IST