COIMBATORE: Officials from the state highway department have shifted 40 out of the 60 trees identified for relocation between Lolly road junction to KNG Pudur junction stretch on Anaikatti road. According to sources, the road will be widened from 20 feet to 40 feet as the 5.2 km stretch on Anaikatti road would be converted into four lanes to accommodate the increasing vehicular movement at a cost of 32 crore.
“The trees were found to be a hindrance to the road widening works and we have taken up major relocation of trees. We had assigned a part of the works to NGOs,” said an official from the state highways department.
Out of 40 trees, NGO Seyal (Seyalpaattukalam) has taken a job for the first time to relocate 20 trees and so far, 13 trees have been relocated by the NGO on Thadagam road in the city to Koavilmedu. The members approached the highway department officials and told them that they are ready to relocate the trees, for which they got approval from revenue department officials.
C Kathiravan, a coordinator of the organisation, said that the 13 tree varieties including Peepal tree, Neem tree, Indian Beech and Almond trees were relocated and seven more trees will be relocated soon. “We have learnt a lesson about the shifting process from tree warrior M Yoganathan, who has been planting saplings for the past 36 years and did relocation for the first time. We have spent Rs 3,000 each for relocating each tree,” he said.
An official from the department said that the road widening work will be completed once the corporation and TWAD board shift their drinking water pipeline, since we have not laid the road on only 150 meters in Kovilmedu junction and 150 meters in Edayarpalayam junction as against the total 5.5 km.