CHENNAI: The Madras High Court restrained the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Salem district from granting permission for felling seven century-old tamarind trees at Mallur for constructing a new bus terminus. Justice GR Swaminathan, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by S Ranjith, an office-bearer of Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) recently, passed an interim order directing the second respondent (RDO) not to grant permission to fell the seven tamarind trees, pending disposal of the petition.
He recorded the submission of the counsel for the petitioner that even it is possible to construct the new bus terminus without cutting down the tamarind trees. Ranjith, in his petition, stated that an ordinary meeting of the council of the Mallur town panchayat on March 28, 2022, passed a resolution for constructing a new bus stand on Tiruchy Main Road. Subsequently, requests were sent to the government authorities concerned seeking permission for felling seven tamarind trees.
Ranjith said there is no need for the proposed new bus stand at Mallur as most buses are plying on the Tiruchy Road without passing through Mallur town. The proposed bus stand can be constructed even without felling the trees and alternative sites are also available for the construction, he said.