Activists fume as tree is reduced to trunk

Time of India

10-07-2025

Trichy: Amid calls for stringent enforcement against those illegally axing and trimming trees at public places in Trichy city, a 15-year-old native tree at Thiruvanaikoil was unscientifically trimmed by unidentified people on Thursday.
Locals said a Pungan tree (Indian beech) on Kumbakonathan road was found trimmed completely in the morning. While prior permission from the revenue department is mandatory to trim or axe trees at public places, the Pungan tree was reduced to a trunk, infuriating environmental activists here. This was the fourth such incident of trees at public places being targeted in the last few months. "The tree was not causing any harm to the electricity lines.
We were told that a section of people who were unhappy with vendors putting up makeshift vegetable stalls below the tree have trimmed the tree," K C Neelamegam, working president, Thanneer eNGO, said.
Citing an incident in Coimbatore where a man was penalized Rs1 lakh for unscientifically trimming a peepal tree, Neelamegam said that lack of such enforcements in Trichy encourages residents and commercial outlets to axe and trim native trees in public places. Revenue officials in Srirangam said they are yet to receive a formal complaint about the incident.