Spoiling all hopes projected by grand events organised to mark the Environmental day on Tuesday, about 50 mangrove trees were found destroyed on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake at Asramam alongside the Link Road on Wednesday.
The act was clearly mindless activity of the officials, while conducting a pre-monsoon cleaning of a culvert that leads to the lake.
The trees belonging to endangered species including Ceriops tagal, Excoecaria indica, Sonneratia caseolaris and Aegiceras corniculatum were the destroyed, said a statement by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad(KSSP), which demanded action against the offenders.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that a section of mangroves were destroyed as part of an effort by the PWD to clear a block in the culvert passing through this mangrove pocket.
When contacted, District Collector P G Thomas told Express that strict directions were given to PWD officials to spare the mangrove plants while removing the earth from the drainage.
KSSP covenor V K Madhusoodhanan said that these rare mangrove trees were planted a year ago by the Forest Department, KSSP and NSS unit.
These species were planted at the bank formed along the Link Road, he said.
“Authorities often fail to understand the importance of the mangroves along the lake, which has become a cesspool with the sewage reaching through the TS Canal and directly from various pockets in the city. Moreover, the mangroves in the area have great importance in the development of tourism in the district,” the statement from the KSSP said.