Mangaluru Smart City Limited not keen on saving 34 trees, alleges forum

MANGALURU: H Shashidhar Shetty, secretary, National Environment Care Federation (NECF), alleged that the recent meeting with the forest department and Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), on the proposed felling of 34 trees on the Nandigudda- Marnamikatta stretch, was an eye wash. Despite opposition, the officials are planning to go ahead with the axing of the trees, on less than a kilometre stretch of road, he said.
He told the media on Saturday, that the 34 trees that are likely to be axed, have been along the road for more than 80 years. At the recently convened public hearing called for by the assistant conservator of forests, Mangaluru division, the greens argued that since there is a parallel road connecting Nandigudda and Marnamikatta, traffic issues can be solved by declaring the road a one-way, and that the felling of trees was unwarranted. “At the meeting, it was clear that the forest and MSCL officials were not interested in listening to the greens. The officials are hell-bent on wasting taxpayers’ money on unscientific and unjustified projects,” he said, adding the road widening on this stretch is not necessary, since there is no heavy traffic, compared to other parts of the city.