MADURAI
A public interest litigation petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday seeking a direction for enacting a law for the protection of trees in public places, similar to the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, in order to regulate felling of trees.
The petitioners, K. Muthuramalingam and S. Balan of Thoothukudi, also sought a direction to quash the order passed by a Revenue Divisional Officer to cut down a neem tree that grew in their locality.
The duo complained that a private party had recently purchased a house in their locality. He planned to pull down the old building and build a new one in its place. Also he had filed a representation with the revenue authorities requesting for removal of a neem tree that had grown outside the house premises.
The revenue authorities accepting the request passed an order towards removal of the tree. Following this order, the petitioners said they petitioned the Collector against felling of the tree. Since there was no response to their petition, they approached the court, they said. They sought a direction to consider enacting a law to regulate felling of trees in public places.
Taking up the plea for hearing, a Division Bench of Justices T. Raja and Krishnan Ramasamy ordered a stay on felling of the tree. The court also directed notice to the district authorities of Thoothukudi and adjourned the case by two weeks.