4 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Tree felling at TN's Srirangam aided school sparks outcry amid Environment day observance
Chief Educational Officer K Krishnapriya responded, 'For aided schools, the school secretary or correspondent is responsible. We provide aid and ensure quality education.' Her remarks have raised questions about the department's monitoring and accountability mechanisms, as local officials had failed to notice the removal of the trees.
Defending the decision, headmistress S. Shanthi said the trees posed safety risks: 'Some trees were large and leaning towards the compound wall of a nearby apartment. We feared they might fall during strong winds. With the management's approval, we removed them. As part of World Environment Day, students planted new saplings in the same area.'
A member of the school management added that the decision was not premeditated: 'It wasn't intentional. The trees hadn't been properly maintained. It was a lapse on our part. We've now planted saplings and plan to take better care of them.'
However, environmentalists argue that the damage is already done and worry about the message being sent to children. 'You cannot preach conservation while axing trees in your own backyard,' said S.N. Mohan Ram of the Srirangam People's Welfare Association.
