Meet convened to discuss tree felling

Following pressure from environmental activists, Public Works Minister Mons Joseph has decided to convene a meeting to discuss the issue of tree felling as part of the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP). A high-level meeting would be convened on May 6, a statement from the Minister's office said here on Wednesday. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Vijayakumar, Forest Minister Benoy Viswom, Mayor C. Jayan Babu, MLAs V. Sivankutty and V. Surendran Pillai and environmental activists, including Sugathakumari, and Habitat director G. Shankar would participate in the meeting.The decision to convene a meeting came a day after a delegation of environmentalists met Mr. Joseph with the request to avoid felling of trees as part of CRIP."It is difficult to avoid tree felling in places where road widening, construction of bus bays and pipe-laying will have to be done as part of the project. However, the meeting will discuss whether more trees other than those decided at a similar meeting convened by the government earlier have to be felled as part of the project," the statement said. It said the decision to fell trees was taken as part of expediting development works in the city. Most of the axed trees were dangerously jutting into the new roads. "The State government has taken a general stand to abstain from felling of trees wherever it can be avoided. That is why the trees lining the University College compound were protected while cutting down one tree in front of the Sanskrit College," the statement said. It said the May 6 meeting would review how far the decision to plant 10 saplings in place of every axed tree had been followed.

 The Hindu, 30th April 2009