Kerala - Kollam   

Road widening: tension at Asramam over tree-felling

– PHOTO: C. SURESH KUMAR

Cost of development: A tree on the Kappalandimukku-Asramam road in Kollam city being axed on Thursday.

KOLLAM: Tension prevailed at Asramam in the city on Thursday morning when work for converting the Kappalandimukku-Asramam road into a four lane stretch began with the axing down of trees on the road side.

The project of the Kollam Corporation had turned controversial when environmentalists opposed it because it involved felling of more than 100 trees. As soon as the project was announced in August, the environmentalists had joined hands to oppose the project by organising agitations and campaigns.

They had moved the High Court and the State Human Rights Commission against the project and claimed earning a stay from the court in the form of a status quo order. On Thursday, as loggers of the project contractor arrived at Asramam and began axing the trees, environmentalists under the banner of the Parishiti Samrakshana Ekopana Samithi rushed to the scene and squatted around the trees marked to be felled. Odanavattom Vijayaprakash, who led the environmentalists, said he was ‘shocked by the effrontery of the civic body to axe the trees in spite of a High Court stay.”

The development led to tension gripping the area as a strong group of headload workers arrived at the scene and opposed the environmentalists. Mr. Vijayaprakash alleged that it was an attempt by the ruling side in the Kollam Corporation to “unleash violence and suppress the campaign to save the trees.”

Mr. Vijayaprakash said even in the face of threats, the environmentalists did not budge. But since they were only a few in number, the loggers began axing several trees. But as tension mounted, the police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.

By that time, two trees had been felled.

The environmentalists withdrew the agitation when Circle Inspector of Kollam East police station S. Vijayan gave the assurance that the loggers had been instructed not to axe down the trees.

Mr. Vijayaprakash said the samithi would approach the High Court again on the issue. A stronger campaign would be launched to save the trees that graced the road for decades, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Road widening: tension at Asramam over tree-felling
SSF condemns terrorism
Vichara yajnam
Narco-analysis a crude system: K.T. Thomas
Scouts and Guides camp
Technical seminar

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu