As many as 101 trees will have to make way for the 2.7 km-long Technopark – Kazhakuttam flyover, being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Trees on either side of the road from Technopark to the Al Saj Hotel will be cut down. The cutting down of trees began this week, as the flyover work is being fast-tracked.
According to an official of the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department, the valuation of the trees to be cut down for the flyover was completed a year back, while cutting permission was provided recently.
“As per the valuation done in May last year, 52 of the trees on the left side of the road were valued at ₹9.5 lakh, while 32 of the trees on the right side were valued at ₹3.92 lakhs. Seventeen of the trees on the median from Kazhakuttam to Technopark were planted recently after the bypass widening, and so are of lesser value,” said the official.
The NHAI will also have to pay the Social Forestry wing for compensatory afforestation, at 10 saplings for each tree that is cut down. The amount for the upkeep of the sapling for three years will also have to be made. But, the NHAI has not yet paid the entire amount for the compensatory afforestation for all the trees that it had cut down for the four-laning of the National Highway-66 bypass from Kovalam to Kazhakuttam three years back.
“A total of 4,700 trees were cut down for the NH-66 bypass work. So, they had to pay for planting 47,000 saplings as compensation. But, till now, payments have been made only for 34,000 trees. An amount of ₹1.1 crore was deposited.
The compensatory afforestation for that was done inside the Sainik School campus and in a 1.1 acre plot near the Greenfied Stadium. The money for the third year maintenance has also not been credited. We have written to the NHAI asking for the amount to be released immediately. Only if the amount is remitted we can find suitable public land for planting the saplings,” says J.R.Ani, Assistant Conservator of Forests.Mostly, indigenous, fruit-bearing trees are being planted. Exotic species are being avoided. An acacia eradication policy has also been agreed in principle.