COIMBATORE: IT is final, 471 trees will be axed to widen the Coimbatore - Sathymangalam road instead of the earlier proposed number of 668 trees. TNIE had highlighted the issue on June 11.
The district green committee members along with revenue and national highway officials identified 171 trees that could be spared the axe after carrying out field visits for the past 10 days, 69 trees out of which would be relocated and branches of 102 trees will be pruned to allow movement of vehicles. Sources said most of the trees that would be felled are tamarind trees. The road will be widened for up to 10 m at a cost of Rs 73.32 crore.
K Syeed, member of District Green Committee and Founder of Green Care, said, “The project was put on hold for eight years considering the loss of greenery between Saravanampatti to Puliyampatti. Not only have we saved 171 trees, including centuries-old banyan tree in Alamaram bus stop near Annur and jamun trees in Kunnathur, we also saved the lives of hundreds of birds and the livelihood of people who set up stalls in the shade to sell tender coconut or Kambu Koozh.”
“Of the 2,880 trees between Saravanampatti to Puliyampatti, cutting 471 for the road widening works will be a minimum loss. Further, highway officials have agreed to plant 10 trees for the loss of one tree in the stretch,” Syeed said.
According to sources, on the 30 km stretch between Saravanampatti and Puliyampatti, 642 trees are identified from the Coimbatore district and the remaining 26 trees were from Puliyampatti in Erode. Though the national highway department officials have fixed a value of the trees through the forest department and the green committee carried out an inspection in Coimbatore, no such development were done in 26 trees located in Erode district.