A number of full-grown trees along Poonamallee High Road have been cut in the past few days for construction of stormwater drains.
A few residents and commuters informed civic officials that several trees near the the area where Dasaprakash Hotel once stood had been cut.
Egmore MLA K.S.Ravichandran said residents wanted stormwater drains to be constructed without damaging trees. “We cannot allow officials to cut trees. I had spoken in the Assembly about the need for stormwater drains in the area. That is why they have started the work. Waterlogging on stretches such as Ritherdon Road is severe during the monsoon. These drains have been designed to reduce waterlogging in many parts of the Egmore constituency,” Mr. Ravichandran said.
The stormwater drain project is also expected to reduce waterlogging on Vepery High Road, Poonamallee High Road and EVK Sampath Salai.
Highways Department sources said the contractor was told to ensure that trees were not harmed in any way. However, since a few trees had to be removed to make way for the project, saplings would be planted wherever space was available on the stretch.
The department is constructing SWD on four stretches on Poonamallee High Road — from the headquarters of the Southern Railway to Nurses Quarters at a cost of ₹3.64 crore; from the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital outgate to Muthuswamy Bridge at a cost of ₹2.30 crore; from Vepery signal to Ritherdon Road at a cost of ₹2.73 crore and near old Dasaprakash at a cost of ₹1.25 crore. “These points are prone to waterlogging during monsoon and require drains to carry water to nearby canals,” the official explained.