THOOTHUKUDI: In order to compensate for the trees felled along the Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli State Highway (SH 40) during road expansion works, Thoothukudi forest department has begun planting 7,300 tree saplings on a parcel of land belonging to Chidambareswarar temple.
As a part of the Chennai-Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC), the SH 40 was expanded in 2021, and the project led to the removal of several hundred trees, many decades-old ancient native trees. Social activists protested against the felling of trees and took the matter to the court.
As per the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the divisional engineer of the CKICP signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thoothukudi district forest officer to propagate a total of 16,770 seedlings, including a 10% provision towards casualty replacement. Of these, the forest department had planted nearly 9,200 saplings along the highway during 2024-25.
Speaking to TNIE, District Forest Officer M Ilayaraja said the agreed number of saplings could not be planted along the highway due to a lack of space. Therefore, the remaining tree saplings were proposed to be planted on the land belonging to the Chidambareswarar temple in Chettiapathu village near Udangudi. "Over 7,300 saplings of timber value have been chosen to be planted at the temple land, and will be completed in another 10 days," he said.