Thu Sep 18 12:15:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
The Tamil Nadu government has issued strict new guidelines regulating the cutting down of palmyra trees, the state tree. These guidelines, effective immediately, require individuals or organizations to obtain prior permission via the “Uzhavan” mobile app and plant ten saplings for every tree cut down. The decision rests with a district-level committee, after a field verification by a regional committee. The move aims to protect the palmyra tree population, which supports the livelihoods of a large number of farmers and contributes significantly to the state’s economy through exports. Past efforts have included discouraging palmyra tree usage in brick kilns and recognizing the importance of the tree since it was declared as the State tree in 1988.
**News Article:**
**Tamil Nadu Enforces Strict Rules to Protect Palmyra Trees**
**CHENNAI, September 18, 2025** – In a move to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s state tree, the palmyra, the state government has implemented stringent new regulations regarding its felling. The guidelines, released last week, mandate that individuals or organizations seeking to cut down a palmyra tree must first obtain permission through the “Uzhavan” mobile application and commit to planting ten palmyra saplings for each tree removed.
The application process involves a multi-tiered review. A regional monitoring committee, headed by an Assistant Director of Agriculture, will conduct a field verification and submit a report to a district-level committee led by the District Collector. This committee will have the final say and is expected to make a decision within a month of receiving the application.
“The applicant should cut down the said palmyra tree/s only after receiving the permission,” stated the official order. “Officials would be authorised to be present when the said palmyra trees are cut down.” The cut trees are to be transported only with necessary communication from the Director of the Horticulture and Plantation Crops
The government’s decision underscores the importance of the palmyra tree to the state’s economy and ecology. According to the Tamil Nadu Khadi and Village Industries Board, there are approximately five crore palmyra trees in Tamil Nadu, with an estimated three lakh farmers relying on them for their livelihoods. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University estimates that there are about 10 crore palmyra trees in the country and of them, five crore were in the State.
The export of palm products makes a substantial contribution to the state exchequer.
This latest measure builds upon previous efforts to protect the palmyra, including a 2021 order discouraging its use in brick kilns and the initial declaration of the palmyra as the state tree in 1988. Awareness programmes involving farmers and gram sabha meetings will also be conducted to emphasize the benefits of palmyra trees and the limitations on their removal. The Tamil Nadu government has been implementing a mission to protect the State tree since three years now.
The government hopes these comprehensive regulations will ensure the sustainable management of Tamil Nadu’s precious palmyra tree population for generations to come.
First Piper 