COIMBATORE: Officials of National Highway department have started widening a 3.7 km stretch from Mathampalayam to Karamadai on the Coimbatore - Mettupalayam highway (NH181). The stretch will be upgraded as a four-lane road at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
Officials of NH have discussed with an NGO to relocate old trees from the area. "Apart from trees, EB posts will also be relocated to facilitate road widening work. Once widened, motorists going to Nilgiris and Mysore can travel freely. Due to the congested two lane, many accidents took place in the spot. The work commenced in June and will be completed on May 2023," said an official of the National Highway.
Activist K Eswaran, who filed a petition in Madras High Court requesting the court to order the highways department to plant ten trees in place of just one tree, told TNIE, "Based on the petition, the court has ordered the department to plant 10,000 trees.
As a result, the officials have assured to carry out plantation of saplings on their ten acres of land near Neelambur and over 5,000 tress have been growing up. But, we came to know that the CM will lay the foundation stone of a connecting road to the airport in the same 10 acres land, which is a clear violation of the HC's order. The CM should consider this and take necessary steps."