TIRUCHY: The ongoing road extension work on the Tiruchy-Karur highway is set to alter the entire landscape of the stretch, with a total of 139 trees are expected chopped off for the extension purpose.
In order to ease the traffic congestion on the stretch, earlier this year the State highway department started the extension work on the 11-km stretch of the Tiruchy-Karur highway from the Kodamurathi bridge to Mukkombu barrage. While the extension work has remained a long-pending demand of the residents and motorists, it will adversely impact the environment as the department is set to chop off over 100 trees, most of them are Tamarind trees, which are as old as 100 years.
K Neelamegam, Secretary, Thaneeer, an NGO that works on environmental issues, said, "The Tiruchy-Karur highway is the only stretch in and around the city that has a green cover. Instead of cutting the trees, the highway department should explore opportunities to transplant trees at some other location."
For instance, in Allur village alone, over 40 trees, including a few 100-year-old Tamarind trees, would be chopped off to pave way for road extension. While the sources said that the consent to cut the trees was from the revenue department, a few Tiruchiites allege that the trees are being chopped off indiscriminately as saplings would also be razed.
Dr Kamal, a regular commuter on the stretch, said, "The trees are being cut indiscriminately on the entire stretch irrespective whether it is a sapling or a well-rooted trees. Cutting down these many trees would also weaken the bunds of the Cauvery river resulting of flood situation in the city."
When contacted, a senior official from the highway department said, "For now, we were unable to transplant the tree or find out any other alternative. As per the court direction, fresh saplings would be planted once the extension work is completed."