The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has urged the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department to plant saplings for trees cut for road projects.
In a memorandum submitted to the officials of the Department here on Wednesday, V. Easwaran, the MDMK State Youth Wing Secretary, said trees have been cut on Perur Road and about 1,000 trees will be cut to widen Mettupalayam Road near Perianaikenpalayam. The National Highways wing should plant saplings (10 times the number of trees cut) and maintain them too.
“The officials have assured that they will mobilise resources to plant the saplings and maintain them. But they wanted us to identify land. We will do so,” he said.
According to a Supreme Court order, for every tree cut for a project, 10 saplings should be planted. The MDMK had taken up this issue with the State Highways Department as it had cut several trees for road projects in Coimbatore District. Subsequently the NH wing planted saplings near Chinniampalayam, near Saravanampatti, etc.
It has planted only 50 % of the saplings for the trees cut for its projects here. It needs to plant the remaining saplings too and maintain them properly, he said.
Saplings handed over
Meanwhile, the contractor who is executing the Pollachi road widening works handed over 10,000 saplings to the Pollachi Sub-Collector two days ago and will give more saplings. As many as 2,100 trees were cut for the project. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the contractor will also follow up on maintenance of these, an official of NHAI said.