Several old and massive trees on either side of the Dindigul-Karur Main Road between Tiruchi by-pass and Seelapadi were axed for the proposed road widening work.
Many of the trees, which were 50 to 80 years old, beyond Seelapadi will face the same fate.
On one hand, the government has been intensifying campaign for planting more trees and protection of existing ones.
On the other hand, it has been destroying hundreds of trees using mechanised saw in the name of development, especially for road widening work and installation of electric cables. “We do not understand the logic behind it,” said environmentalists.
Cutting trees will have its adverse impact on environment and climate change. Already, rainfall has come down and groundwater table has fallen sharply in Dindigul town. The Dindigul Corporation has been struggling to supply water to residents once in eight days. Destruction of trees would deteriorate the situation further. But the government departments, particularly Highways and Tangedco were cutting down trees on a large scale, the activists complained.
Contractors did not leave even trees grown beyond the area meant for widening work. These trees could be spared. Large trees kept the are cool and provided shade to road users during summer, said local people.
While Highways officials felled trees in rural areas, Tangedco officials and local bodies did damage in the town limit. A large number of trees had been cut down on Siluvathur Road, near Round Road and other parts for erection of electric posts.
Environmentalists appealed to stop such indiscriminate felling of trees in the name of widening of roads and erection of electrical posts.
Environmentalists concerned as Highways department and Tangedco
wield the axe indiscriminately
