A solution to the four-year-old row between environmentalists and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) over the felling of 56 trees on the Upidamoodu-Vanchiyoor-Pattoor stretch for the development of the busy section into a four-lane road has been found.
The trees — majority of them rain trees — that are near the Amazhinjan canal have to be felled to develop the road that comes under the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP). The canal that passes through the stretch will be covered with pre-stressed box like culverts to make the road four-lane.
Although the local people had joined hands with the KRFB to fell the trees and to complete the road work, environmentalists opposed the move and the Forest Department had denied permission to the KRFB to cut the trees that cannot be planted as avenue trees. When the CRIP took off six years ago, these trees had a girth under 30 cm, the minimum level required for a plant to qualify as “tree”.
The KRFB and the TRDCL, the concessionaire of the CRIP, roped in transport planner and the Advisor to the government on CRIP N. S. Srinivasan to work out a solution and complete the work. A total station survey was carried out to get minute details, including the location of trees. After a thorough investigation, alternative plans were prepared under the guidance of Dr. Srinivasan.
Median island
A median island of 4 to 5 metre width and 250 metre length in between the bidirectional carriageway has been recommended to overcome the vexed issue. “This would help to save 54 trees out of the total 70 trees. Moreover, there is adequate space on the median island to plant 60 more trees. Thus, this stretch of road will be an environment-friendly road best suited to the conditions prevailing in Kerala,” Dr. Srivnivasan told The Hindu .
The Vanchiyoor road forms part of the western stretch of the Inner Ring Road of Thiruvananthapuram connecting Palayam, Bakery, Thampanoor, Overbridge, Uppidamoodu, Pattoor and General Hospital junctions. The Inner Ring Road has an important role in the dispersal of traffic in the core area of the city.
The stretch falls in the 4.485-km corridor from Nalumukku to Old Collectorate and proceeding to Thakaraparambu-Power House and Choorakkatupalayam with an extension to Pattoor and Vanchiyoor. The decision to retain the trees by making a median island will further enhance the green cover in Vanchiyoor area.
Dr. Srinivasan said tree lovers should develop one stretch of road stretch from Vellayambalam to Thycaud guest house, a part of Rajiv Nagar and a street in a high income group area- Jawahar Nagar, into beautiful environmental areas by planting trees and plants.
