DMK MLA Udayasuriyan from Sankarapuram said, “In the name of development and laying roads, the governments had cut down native trees such as neem, tamarind and so on. Cutting down of trees has led to decrease in rainfall and acute water shortage in the state.”

Debating on the resolutions brought by the Department of Environment and Forest, Udayasuriyan said that due to the destruction of native trees many birds have disappeared. “As they have disappeared trees too have disappeared. Government should take steps to reclaim native trees to reclaim the environment and ecology,” he said.

State Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan, while replying to Udayasuriyan said that the government is committed to grow large number of trees. “We have planned to plant 71 lakh trees as part of celebrations of 71st birth anniversary of late CM J Jayalalithaa, across the state and the state is currently following the principles of planting 10 trees for a single tree uprooted.”

To his question on oleander plants Deputy CM O Panneerselvam replied that oleander play a key role in reducing vehicular pollution.