M’luru Smart City project: 15 trees face axe

Mangaluru: At least 15 trees on a 1km stretch face the axe as Mangaluru Smart City Ltd (MSCL) is set to start development of the road between Nandigudda (Koti Chennaya Circle) and Marnamikatte road here. With green activists raising their concern, the forest department has called a meeting of stakeholders on September 9 (Friday).
Locals have been demanding the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) and the forest department to save the trees from being axed. They have asked the MCC to consider the development of a parallel road instead and make it a one-way if the road stretch had to be widened.
Mangaluru range forest officer Prashanth Pai told TOI, “Road development works have begun from one end. However, the trees have not yet been cleared. It has been almost six months since we received a letter regarding the road development works. Since officials remained absent from the previous meeting, the issue could not be resolved.”
Sources said a meeting was called three times. Green activists turned up on all the three occasions, but officials from MSCL skipped the meeting. The greens have been demanding that since there is a parallel road, the road may be converted into a one-way and trees may be saved.
They have also requested for translocation of trees and demanded the officials show them the development plan so that they can discuss how development can take place by protecting the trees. Sources said Smart City officials are expecting the forest department to resolve the issue. This is probably one of the few green stretches left in the city.
MSCL general manager Arun Prabha called the issue ‘critical’, and expressed confidence of successfully resolving it through consultations with all the stakeholders.
Mayor Premanand Shetty directed MCC commissioner Akshy Sridhar to look into the issue. “We’ll see if we could make the road one-way and save the trees. A bicycle track will also be developed near the ground,” he said.