Green cover goes as grade separator work begins

CHENNAI: As work on the grade separator project at the Anna Arch junction on E V R Salai (Poonamalee High Road) kicks off, close to 10 trees opposite the Aringnar Anna Government hospital of Indian Medicine were pulled down in the last few days.Six fully grown trees were chopped down on Tuesday to clear the way for the Rs 117-crore grade separator, which will come as a boon to motorists using the busy intersection as it would facilitate smooth movement of vehicles on E V R Salai, Nelson Manickam Road junction and Anna Nagar Third Avenue, according to a senior Corporation official at the Anna Nagar zonal office.Though some green activists stress on the need for a tree authority in the State much like the ones set up in AP and Karnataka, the corporation officials said the decision was taken to cut a few trees since the grade separator would do more good than harm to the environment. The free flow of vehicular traffic would bring down air pollution to a great extent, a Corporation official said.However, Ramdas, an Ayanavaram-based environmental activist and tree lover, urged the authorities to embark on a tree-plant exercise to compensate the loss of tree cover. Ramdas, who uses the RTI Act, had found several private agencies cutting trees on public lands illegally without getting due permission in Ayanavaram and surrounding areas. “Unlike the CMRL that has agreed to plant 10 trees for every one that is cut, private agencies fail to take such measures,” he said.