Groups raise environmental demands in Thiruvananthapuram

The letter to NHAI called for a plan to retain as many trees along the medians of the Kazhakuttom- Kadampattukonam stretch that is being widened.
Image used for representational purpose only. (File Photo | AP)
Image used for representational purpose only. (File Photo | AP)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ahead of World Environment Day, a collective of ten environmental groups in the city have raised demands with the Revenue Minister, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The conservation programme of the collective is titled ‘Revive and Revitalize Trees’. The partner organisations – World Wide Fund for Nature-Kerala Chapter, Green Army, Bring Back Green, AMAS, Celebrating Waterbodies, NANMA, Waders and Warblers, Eco-solutions and HUMANS – came together under the aegis of Tree Walk. The letters sent to the three authorities are jointly drafted by the organisations.

The letter to NHAI called for a plan to retain as many trees along the medians of the Kazhakuttom- Kadampattukonam stretch that is being widened. Instead of the usual approach of cutting all trees, the group sought the example of the widening of the Kazhakootam- Mukkola stretch which had the participation of Tree Committee members.

More than 600 trees could be retained on the median after a detailed study and evaluation. The group quoted from the Green Highways Policy 2015. The policy recognises the importance of trees and shrubs in various aspects of highway development. For the effective implementation of the above proposal to retain trees on the highway, the tree committee functioning under the Socio Forestry Wing of Kerala Forest Department with the mayor as chairperson has to be activated, it said.

In the letter to the mayor, the collective requested her to convene a full quorum of the tree committee with members like R Sridhar and R Shanker to formulate an action plan for the conservation of trees in the city.
The letter to the Revenue Minister is in response to his recent directive to cut all trees in public places that pose danger.

The collective called for the need to scientifically evaluate the health of trees with the help of institutions like Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur, which has a detailed protocol on tree health. It also called for preventing activities that damage trees like nailing advertisements, burning waste and haphazard pruning of branches that cause instability and tree guards that hamper their growth.

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