Stage is set for the axing of around 59 trees located on the Edappally campus of the Social Forestry wing of the Forest department with the Tree committee clearing the proposal on Thursday.
The committee, which has the Mayor as its chairperson and Assistant Conservator of Forest (Social Forestry) as its convenor, gave approval for the proposal.
The clearance of the committee is required for the felling of trees in non-forest areas. A few environmental campaigners have sought the intervention of the head of the Forest force to prevent the felling of trees. In their complaint, Kottayam Nature Society and the Centre for Earth Research and Environment and Management, an NGO, pointed out that it was the responsibility of the Forest department to protect the greenery in the city suburbs.
However, Forest officials defended the decision.
A. Jayamadhavan, Assistant Conservator of Forest (Social Forestry), said the building complex was rooted way back in 2008. The department plans to set up an office complex on the campus. No trees with bird nests would be cut down. Funds for the project would come from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). As many as 10,000 saplings will be planted on nine school campuses and public places in the city as part of the compensatory afforestation programme, he added.
The Social Forestry wing has no other holding except the one which it purchased long ago to construct an office complex, he said.
The Tree committee also cleared a proposal to cut down 30 trees as requested by the Kerala State Electricity Board, said Mr. Jayamadhavan.
