Huge trees felled inthe name of pruning

Contractor had obtained permission only for trimming

Something shady: The remains of trees chopped in front of the multifunctional complex in front of Madurai railway junction on Thursday.

The multifunctional complex that is remaining idle in front of the Madurai railway junction for almost six years now has run into a controversy before it became functional as an environmental activist group has complained of contractors chopping off trees in front of the building.

Naanal Friends Group complained that despite a formal complaint lodged with Madurai Railway Division officials seeking to prevent the contractors from felling huge trees on Wednesday, at least one neem tree was completely chopped off and almost all the branches of two other neem trees were cut.

Its member, Sridhar Nedunchezhiyan, said that the first petition was given to the engineering department officials on Wednesday when the volunteers saw workers cutting down branches. “When we questioned them, the workers showed a letter on their mobile phone claiming that they had permission from the Railways to chop the trees,” Mr. Nedunchezhiyan said.

The activists appealed to the railway officials to prevent any further cutting of the trees. However, they found the workers involved in cutting trees on Thursday morning. “When the officials told us that they had given permission only for pruning trees and also for transplantation, we wonder how the workers completely removed a neem tree. Had we not intervened again on Thursday, they would have done away with two more neem trees and a pipal tree,” he said.

He said that the trees, including a pipal tree that was more than four decades old, were in no way posing hindrance to the movement of people to the new building.

He expressed fear that two more huge trees, a pipal and a banyan tree on the rear side of thecomplex were facing danger from these workers. Huge branches of the pipal tree were also cut down. Several logs of neem and pipal were found at the site. “It is an irony that the compound wall of the railway junction along the West Veli Street had several paintings by school children that promoted preservation of trees and growing of saplings to protect the environment. But the officials were not showing interest in safeguarding the existing trees that gave shade on a large area for pedestrians,” he said.

An engineering official from the Railways said that the permission was given only for trimming the trees and not for removing them.