Residents bid farewell to the trees

by December 6, 2011 Environment

The High Court ruled in favour of Sankey road widening, practically bringing the axe down on hundreds of trees.

Around 100 people gathered at Bhashyam Circle early on 4 December, Sunday morning to walk down the Sankey road towards Maramma Circle.

Young and old bid their farewell. Pic: Vani Murthy

It was a walk to symbolise the voice of people who fought to save the trees from the road-widening project. The court has given a go ahead for the project and people are left wondering as to what can be done to save trees that are so vital to the environment.

There were around 50 cyclists from the Go Green Club, who strongly believe that conserving the environment is so important and every citizen should do something about it.

Pedalling for the tree cover. Pic: Vani Murthy

There were residents from the nearby localities who came to show their support to saving the trees that would be axed for this project. It was heartening to see a little boy draw a tree and write a slogan “we will miss you a lot.”

It was like a farewell to the trees and to the eco-system in a beautiful locality known for its inherent natural green cover and avenue trees. If only trees could scream.⊕

Sections:

About Vani Murthy

Vani is a Malleswaram resident, passionate about zero waste management.
Read more by Vani Murthy

Comments:

  1. Arathi Manay Yajaman says:
    December 25, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    It’s sad that we couldn’t save the trees. We have saved a lake in Puttenahalli and need the support of the public to help its nurturing. Support with just your vote. Voting ends 30-Dec-2011. We’re competing against projects from all over India on Mahindra Spark the Rise. http://www.sparktherise.com/projectdetail.php?pid=5087

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Pallikaranai Marsh’s Zone of Influence: Threat or shield for South Chennai?

by October 29, 2026 Environment
Pallikaranai Marsh acts as a buffer against Chennai floods. Protecting homes and ecology around it needs a proper ZoI, not weak rules.

Every monsoon, South Chennai goes underwater. The only sponge that soaks up all that rain is the Pallikaranai Marsh, yet around it, 8,619 hectares of land face severe flood risks. Despite this, the State has offered to protect only a fraction of that land.  On October 9th, the Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority (TNSWA) told the Madras High Court  that the marsh's interim Zone of Influence (ZoI) is just 36 survey numbers, covering 128.19 hectares. The next hearing of the case is on November 11th.  Scattered "protection"  These plots lie in bits and pieces across seven villages, from Pallikaranai to Perumbakkam.…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Blocked Kovalam-Nemmeli wetland channels risk disaster for South Chennai; Conservationists urge action  

by October 21, 2026 Environment
Barriers built for the Mamallan Reservoir block Buckingham Canal water flow, vital to keep the wetland alive, avoid floods and sustain fishing families.

In Chengalpattu district, the main water channels of the Kovalam-Nemmeli coastal wetland, which drains a catchment of more than 270 square kilometres, have currently been blocked. Barriers that obstruct water flow have been built across Chennai's Buckingham Canal at three places: Thiruvidanthai-Vadanemmeli, near the Nemmeli-Thiruporur bridge, and Saluvankuppam. Earlier, we explored how the Mamallan Reservoir causes serious damage to the wetland’s ecology and how fishing livelihoods are affected. Field investigations by the Wetland Conservation Network have recorded the blockages preventing tidal exchange in the Buckingham Canal.           According to officials, these barriers were put up to enable construction of the Mamallan…

Continue reading