27-05-2025
Greens oppose move to axe trees for playground project at Cusat
Cochin Natural History Society, an NGO involved in nature conservation, has urged the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) authorities to drop the proposed move to axe the green cover on the safety and fire training ground on the School of Engineering campus for setting up a playground and an amphitheatre.
In a letter to the Registrar, the secretary of the society said, 'While we totally empathise with the need for recreational and sports facilities for students on the campus, we view with deep pain and suspicion the choice of location identified for the purpose.'
Representatives of the society pointed out that there were other areas on the main campus, which lacked tree cover and were suitable for the project. They said around 1,700 saplings of 137 species had been planted on the School of Engineering campus over the years. Further, the varsity had won the State Biodiversity Award in 2021-22 for its efforts to plant trees in such an organised manner while ensuring diversity, they added. The society said that the tree cover included indigenous and fruit trees, bamboos, many of which are rare and endemic, and other assorted plant life.
Reacting to concerns raised by the society, the varsity authorities said that they had no plan to go for large-scale tree felling. The project was conceived in view of the shortage of sporting facilities on the campus. They added that the idea is to remove only bushes and vegetation for the playground project.
