The cancellation of the government order on the construction of a bus bay and shopping complex on a part of land owned by Government Central High School at Attakulangara will be a true victory for those who opposed the project only if the potential of the lush campus as an educational and recreational space is actualised, Anitha Sharma of Tree Walk has said.
The school campus with its 32 species of trees, including rare ones such as Clammy Cherry and Sage-leaved Alangium, 85 species of herbs, 25 species of birds, and 20 species of butterflies, is a valuable oasis of biodiversity as well as a green lung of the city. Hence, it should be ensured that any activities undertaken there in the future should make optimum use of the green space without harming it, Ms. Anitha says.
Tree Walk had gone to court against the GO in 2013. A proposal for setting up a biodiversity park on the campus, where students as well as the public could learn about nature, had been submitted to the Education Minister by the NGO last September.
The proposal has not received a response so far, says Ms. Anitha.
The reversal of the order was a signal for the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) to rethink its strategies for development of the city, R. Sridhar of the Tree Committee told The Hindu .
Setting up a bus bay and shopping complex in the area would have destroyed its heritage and environment, while failing to provide a solution to the traffic congestion at East Fort, he said.
He suggested that instead of building more shopping complexes, creative plans should be devised to turn the area into a heritage zone.
