Eradication of exotic and invasive species from Western Ghats | Madras High Court judges hold meeting with T.N. officials

After successfully reducing tourist footfall to Udhagamandalam and Kodaikanal through the introduction of the e-pass system during the summer season, the Madras High Court has now embarked on its next exercise of giving an impetus to the eradication of exotic and invasive species such as Lantana camara and Senna spectabilis to restore the shola forests in the Western Ghats. Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy participated in a meeting with the secretaries of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, the Public Works Department, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in the High Court buildings on Friday, June 14, 2024, and insisted on 100% eradication of invasive species. Separate policy Though it was brought to the notice of the judges that Tamil Nadu was the first State in the country to formulate a separate policy titled Tamil Nadu Policy on Invasive Alien Plant Species and Ecological Restoration of Habitats, the judges expressed concern over the slow pace of removal of the invasive species such as Lantana camara and Senna spectabilis from the Western Ghats. After taking into account issues such as movement of wild animals and rainfall as the reasons for the delay in removal of invasive species, the judges impressed upon the officials, the need to take qualitative action so that Tamil Nadu could set an example for other States to emulate.