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New Indian Express
30-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Tree transplantation begins ahead of Avinashi-Mettupalayam road widening
COIMBATORE: In a bid to improve road infrastructure while preserving the environment, the state highways department officials, in collaboration with Green Care NGO, has started the tree transplantation drive on the Mettupalayam-Avinashi stretch. A total of 262 trees are set to be transplanted and around 1,400 trees will be razed down to make way for the road widening project works. The state government has sanctioned Rs 238 crore under the Chief Minister's Rural Road Development Programme (CMRDP) to upgrade the 38-kilometre stretch between Avinashi and Mettupalayam into a four-lane highway. The project spans 13 km in Tiruppur district and 25 km in Coimbatore district, with land acquisition already initiated in three locations. As road widening works are under way, environmental concerns have been brought to the fore. The officials in Tiruppur district have already felled as many as 470 trees on the Avinashi-Annur stretch. A survey conducted in Coimbatore district identified 1,604 trees that obstruct the expansion on the Mettupalayam-Annur stretch. Of these, 1,342 trees are set to be felled, while the remaining will require only branch trimming. However, not all trees will be lost. Following an inspection by the district green committee, officials were advised that 262 of the trees could be salvaged through transplantation. Taking this recommendation forward, the state highways department, in collaboration with the environmental NGO 'Green Care', launched a tree replantation drive at Kanjapalli on Monday. On the first day, around six trees were carefully uprooted and relocated. Speaking to TNIE , Green Care founder Syed explained the meticulous process involved in tree transplantation. "A majority of the trees on the stretch are Tamarind trees which cannot be transplanted as its success rate is very low. So we have avoided them and are transplanting other tree varieties. The replantation effort includes native species such as Poovarasu, Mandharai, Neem, Pungan, Ayan, and Arasu." Meanwhile, the Coimbatore district green committee has demanded that the 40-km Mettupalayam-Avinashi stretch be converted into a green corridor with adequate tree plantation on both sides. S Sivaraja, a member of the district committee and Kowshika Neer Karangal Trust's secretary told TNIE , "We have asked the officials to ensure that 10 saplings are planted for each tree cut by the highways department. Also, we have urged the officials to cut the trees only after they plant all the saplings. Since the road was covered with lush green trees and played a vital role in the environment, we have demanded the district collector to take necessary steps to convert the 40-km stretch into a green corridor by planting trees on both sides, about 5-6 ft from the edge of the road. The collector has assured us to assess the matter and take necessary steps."
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Encroachments around Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai demolished to facilitate drain work
Encroachments, mostly houses and petty shops, were demolished around Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai town, to facilitate construction of storm water drain on key stretches around the temple on Friday. The massive exercise was being taken up with the help of officials of State Highways, the executing agency, along with officials of Tiruvannamalai Corporation and revenue department besides the local police personnel. Most of the encroachments, around 160 structures, on these stretches had been built over two decades ago. The razed structures are mostly extensions of houses and commercial establishments that have been built on the existing narrow drain on these stretches. 'Illegal construction on these stretches, especially around the temple, has affected traffic movement, especially ambulances. The demolition exercise is also part of efforts to create more road space for visitors during Chitra Pournami festival, to be held on May 11 and 12. The drive will continue for the next few days,' S. Anbarasu, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), State Highways (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu. Officials said that the demolition drive was also meant to restore the original width of the existing stretches around the temple as most of the encroachments were built on it. The encroachments, mostly concrete structures, blocked free flow of excess rainwater on old narrow drains during monsoon. It has resulted in waterlogging in the town. Officials of the State Highways said that construction of new wide storm water drains on both sides of key stretches is part of the Rs 15-crore concrete road works on these routes. Some of the stretches include Kattabomman Street, Draupathi Amman Street, Ramalingam Road and Rajagopuram Road. Each drain is three feet wide and four feet deep. The new drain is being laid after revenue officials marked the extension of encroached space on these stretches that have to be demolished for drain work. Of total 800 metres of encroached space, demolition have been completed to a distance of around 250 metres on these stretches so far. Formed part of the 14-km-long girivalam path, the stretches around the temple, a distance of 1.7 kms, gets around 20,000 footfalls every day. The stretches connect the temple with the rest of the town. During Karthigai Deepam festival, the temple car is pulled on these stretches as part of the celebrations. The work is being done under the Chief Minister Road Development Project (CMRDP) 2024-25. As part of ensuring safety of pilgrims during car pulling events as part of Karthigai Deepam festival, all overhead cables including Tangedco power lines and internet are being replaced with underground cables as part of the new drain work. Around 120 electrical poles on these stretches have been removed. Also, new water pipelines are also being done on both sides of the stretches to prevent road cutting works for household water connections.
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
T.N. government will prioritise widening Jayankondam-Kumbakonam highway, says Minister
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) to widen the 18-km stretch between Jayankondam and Madhanathur and the 12-km stretch between Madhanathur and Kumbakonam is under the consideration of the State government, said Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu in the Assembly on Wednesday (April 23, 2025). The Minister was responding to a question by Jayankondam MLA Kannan who sought to widen the existing two-way lane into a four-way lane between Jayankondam to Kumbakonam. Mr. Velu said under the Chief Minister Road Development Programme (CMRDP), the two-way lane for a stretch of 48 km between Vriddachalam and Jayankondam had been converted into a four-way lane at a cost of ₹200 crore. The stretch was made available for public use. Similarly, the DPR to convert the 30-km stretch between Jayankondam to Kumbakonam is under the State government's consideration and it will be taken up on a priority basis under the Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project (TNRSP), he added.
