THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tree lovers and environmental activists are up in arms against the city corporation for axing a giant banyan tree in front of the corporation main office premises. Civic authorities on Sunday, cut down the banyan tree to facilitate the construction of a brand new third entrance to the office. The move has triggered a widespread backlash from environmentalists in the state capital. A social media campaign has been launched demanding legal action against Mayor K Sreekumar, who is also the chairman of the Tree Protection Committee (TPC) since the news came to light. Around 150 petitions addressed to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest have been signed by tree lovers demanding reparative action.
Environmentalist and a member of TPC, Sridhar Radhakrishnan said that axing of the tree was a criminal offence and stringent action should be taken against perpetrators. He said it’s very unfortunate that the very same people entrusted with protecting trees are destroying them. He also alleged that the TPC should be reconstituted with members who are better suited for the job.
“As per the rules, the committee should comprise two environmentalists who conduct physical inspections of the vicinity when a request is received for cutting down of a tree. They have to determine if the felling is in fact necessary. However, this procedure is not being followed currently and none of the members are looking into the matter. They are just giving the nod without proper study. This has to stop. I am also a member of the committee but I am not technically qualified to assess the health of a tree,” said Sridhar. He added that a third entrance to the office was unnecessary.
Town Planning Standing Committee Chairman Palayam Rajan said that the new entrance is being constructed to ensure smooth access to people using the new pay-and-use parking plaza behind the corporation office. “Scarcity of parking is a huge issue in the area and we want to ensure that the public can use the parking plaza which would be inaugurated very soon. We will be planting more trees in the premises and compensate for the axed one. We didn’t do anything illegal,” said Palayam Rajan.
He said that the tree was axed only after getting all necessary permissions. “We had consulted with NATPAC to evaluate the proposal to construct a third entrance. Also, a go-ahead was taken from TPC,” Rajan added. Assistant Conservator of Forest (Social Forestry) Y M Shaji Kumar said that they have received the application from the city corporation and the tree was cut down after the permission was granted.
in a nutshell
The felling of a gaint banyan tree in front of the corporation main office premises for the construction of a new entrace has triggered a widespread backlash from environmentalists
Activists call the move a criminal offence and are demanding legal action against Mayor K Sreekumar, who is also the chairman of the Tree Protection Committee
The civic body calims due procedure was followed and more trees will be planted to compensate for
the axed one