TN: NGT to hear petition on tree felling for highway expansion on April 15

IANS April 12, 2025 160 views

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal will hear a critical petition challenging a highway expansion project in Chennai. Residents of Ramaniyam Towers have raised serious concerns about unauthorized tree cutting and lack of environmental clearance. The Highways Department argues the road widening is essential for traffic decongestion, particularly near government official areas. The April 15 hearing could potentially halt or modify the controversial infrastructure project.

"Environmental factors were completely ignored in this project" - Ramaniyam Towers Residents Association
Chennai, April 12: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hear a petition on April 15 filed by residents of Adyar in Chennai, opposing the felling of 69 trees for a road widening project undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Highways Department.

Key Points

1

NGT to review petition against 69 tree felling in Chennai

2

Residents claim no environmental clearance obtained

3

Highways Department defends road widening necessity

4

Public consultation process questioned

The petition, submitted by a representative of the Ramaniyam Towers Residents Association, alleges environmental violations and lack of transparency in the execution of the project.

The residents claim that no environmental clearance was obtained before initiating the tree-cutting activities, which are part of a plan to decongest traffic at the Greenways Road-Durgabai Deshmukh Road junction.

According to the petition, the project was approved without any public consultation.

The residents had earlier approached the Madras High Court in October 2024, raising concerns over a potential conflict of interest, stating that Highways Department officials were part of the committee that approved the tree felling, thereby compromising the neutrality of the decision-making process.

The petition further argues that environmental factors were ignored and that no alternatives were explored to avoid tree loss.

The residents insist that viable, less destructive solutions were available and should have been considered.

In response, the State Highways Department submitted a report stating that the junction in question is a high-traffic area frequented by senior government officials.

The department argued that road expansion was necessary to ease congestion, adding that widening existing roads was not feasible due to the presence of heritage buildings and official residences in the vicinity.

The tribunal will hear arguments from both parties during the April 15 hearing.

The Southern Bench of the NGT has jurisdiction over environmental cases in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

The NGT, which also holds powers to initiate proceedings suo motu in serious environmental matters, has previously directed state governments to compensate victims in environmental accidents, with its orders holding the same legal authority as civil court rulings.

Non-compliance with NGT directives can lead to penalties including imprisonment, fines, or both.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
Finally some action being taken! These trees are decades old and provide much-needed shade in our neighborhood. There must be better solutions than just cutting them down. 🌳
R
Rahul S.
While I understand the traffic concerns, the lack of public consultation is troubling. These decisions affect all of us - we deserve a say in what happens to our environment.
A
Arjun M.
The traffic at that junction is unbearable during peak hours. Something needs to be done, but I hope they can find a balance between development and environmental protection.
S
Shalini V.
I walk past those trees every morning. They're home to so many birds! Can't we explore alternatives like better traffic management or staggered office timings instead?
K
Karthik P.
Respectfully, I think the article could have included more details about the specific traffic studies conducted. The highways department must have some data to justify this move.
M
Meena R.
This sets a dangerous precedent. If they can cut 69 trees here without proper process, what's stopping them from doing it elsewhere? The NGT needs to take a strong stand.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
National Green Tribunal Chennai Highway Project Environmental Protection Tree Felling Tamil Nadu Highways
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