COIMBATORE: The district green committee stopped a 30-year-old peepal tree from being felled with immediate support of the city police on Sunday.
Sources said a few residents from Indhira Nagar in Ramanathapuram and Nanjundapuram Road took the matter to the district green committee about a peepal tree at a public place being felled without necessary permits from the revenue department.
Martin Raja, a resident from Nanjundapuram called K Syed, a member (tree transplantation) of the district green committee after he came to know that four workers were about to fell the peepal tree on Sunday around 9.20 am.
Syed immediately informed this to the city police and Podanur police reached the spot by 9.30 am. Police stopped the workers and sought a permit from the workers. Workers said that a nearby resident has asked them to cut the tree as it was a disturbance.
However, the resident was unable to furnish an an order copy as well. Before police personnel intervened, workers chopped off several branches of the tree. Ramanathapuram police are investigating further.
Speaking to TNIE, Syed said, “Immediate response from the police saved the tree. We have moved the revenue department to take action against persons involved in the unauthorised tree cutting.”