Nearly 1,100 people signed an online petition in the last two days, appealing to Coimbatore District Collector to stop felling of trees that are on either side of the road in Pollachi.
A copy of the petition, which was shared on Facebook and will be live for about a month, was also submitted to the Collector on Wednesday by members of several non-Governmental organisations.
The State Highways Department (National Highways wing) is widening the road at Udumalpet, Pollachi, and Coimbatore. An official of the department said that trees have been cut in Pollachi town and there are plans to bring down the trees between Eachanari and Sundarapuram in Coimbatore. The project does not involve land acquisition and trees have to be removed to widen the road.
The department is also looking at alternatives so that the trees need not be cut.
Pravin Shanmughanandam, editor of Pollachi Papyrus , says the trees on Coimbatore-Pollachi road are several years old and Pollachi is known for its agricultural lands and greenery. The support to the campaign in the last two days has shown how many people do not want the trees to be cut.
According to the online petition, it is said that nearly 1,700 trees on either side of the road on Coimbatore-Pollachi stretch is to be cut for the road widening project. Huge, tall trees that are 60 years to 100 years old have been brought down in a few hours.
The project has been approved without considering the tremendous loss of the green corridor and the impact it will have on the environment.
Mr. Shanmughanandam said trees were brought down when the Mettupalayam road (Coimbatore to Narasimhanaikenpalayam) was widened and the stretch, which once had a green canopy, looks barren now. “We did not want that to happen in Pollachi. While the road has to be widened, we should look at alternative solutions,” he said.
He said the District Collector asked the representatives to come up with viable solutions that will not hinder the road development work and will save the trees too.
“Experts and the public can send their suggestions to us on our Facebook page (http://m.facebook.com/thepollachipapyrus). We plan to have a panel discussion too to get feasible ideas,” he said.
