The Coimbatore District Roads Protection Committee (CDRPC) on Wednesday resorted to a novel protest by paying homage to a few trees that were axed by an individual on Coimbatore - Mettupalayam Road near Vellakinaru.
M. Devendran of the CDRPC said the committee had planted 1,500 saplings from Kavundampalayam to Rakkipalayam under ‘Solai Vanam’ project eight years ago with the approval of the Highways Department and the Collector. A building owner, stating that the trees were blocking the visibility of his building, had cut down a few trees on September 19 and October 7.
The Committee preferred petitions to the Collector and the Chief Minister. The police began inquiries and the building owner said that there were no trees in front of his building. The Committee contested the same with photographs, forcing the owner to agree that he had axed the trees.
Protesting against the axing of trees, and official inaction on the same, the CDRPC performed last rites to the trees by offering milk, ghee and nava dhaniyams and erected flex banners mourning the death of the trees. The police called the CDRPC and the building owner for talks in the evening.
