TN forests to be free of invasive species soon

THE state has drawn up an ambitious plan to eradicate Senna spectabilis from all its forest divisions by March 2026, one of India's most aggressive stateled invasive species removal efforts.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @ Chennai

According to official data, the invasive tree has spread across 2,446 hectares in Tamil Nadu's forests. Of this, the forest department has already cleared 1,963 hectares, leaving just 483 hectares to be removed.

The yellow-flowering Senna, which has choked forest floors and altered wildlife habitats in the Nilgiris, Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam, is among the most ecologically disruptive invasive species in the Western Ghats. Its thick monoculture suppresses native understorey plants, accelerates fire spread, and reduces fodder availability for herbivores such as elephants and deer.