Members of the city-based “Naanal Nanbargal”, a youth organisation working with environment-related issues, has opposed a road-widening project in progress as part of the NH49 highway.
The members said that a stretch from Chekkanurani to Usilampatti was being widened as part of a National Highways project linking Dhanushkodi with Cochin.
“The stretch from Kokkulam village to T. Vilakku is being widened as a result of which over 20 trees were cut down during the last three days. After we saw a few media reports, we inspected the site on Sunday and saw that five trees had been cut down on that day alone,” said Tamil Dasan, a member of the organisation.
Along with a few residents of the villages, they set up banners and charts protesting against the cutting down of trees and organised a sit-in protest there.
“We visited the site once again on Tuesday and saw that no trees were cut down but however met and questioned the persons who had obtained tenders to cut trees down. Petitions regarding the same have also been submitted to the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) and Collector,” Mr Tamil Dasan said.
The members said that tenders had been given to cut down 246 trees along the stretch to widen the roads for the highways project.
“We are planning a human chain on Friday at the site to raise awareness of the destruction of environment,” they said.
