A doctor in T.Nagar is alarmed at the Corporation’s tree-felling orgy. You don’t need to be a doctor to know the incalculable harm this will bring us, but it’s good to know he is doing what he can. Let’s hope his words are listened to. Here’s the letter he wrote to the Commissioner.
Dr. K. R. Ranganathan,
Member Secretary,
Loss of Ecology (P&PC) Authority,
Government of India,
Flat NO.6, Ramana Apartments,
21, Nathamuni Street,
T.Nagar, Chennai – 600 017.
To
Thiru Rakesh Lakhani,
The Commissioner,
Corporation of Chennai, Ribbon Building,Chennai.
Sir,
SUB: Construction of grade separator (fly over) at Thirumalai Pillai Road and G.N.Chetty Road crossing.
I see from the newspapers that the Corporation of Chennai is going ahead with its plans to construct a fly-over at the above-cited junction and that the trees to be felled for the purpose have been / are being auctioned . I am pained at this decision of the Corporation. I counted about 75 trees of more than 30 years old in the proposed stretch of 1.5 kilometers.
Transplanting these trees is no source of solace as I am sure that such transplanting will never take place as has been witnessed in Adyar etc. The sad story is, the G.N.Chetty Road, a beautiful stretch of a few kilometres with luxurious avenue trees is being destroyed by the Corporation. I request you to reconsider this project and convene a public hearing with due notice to the public.
2. Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, Clause 4 (2), I request you to publish the following:-
(a) The details of traffic census conducted at the junction indicating the basis on which the fly-over was decided upon. The criteria adopted by the Corporation in arriving at the decision. When was traffic census conducted and the details thereof. Were all seven days of the week and 24 hours of the day covered?
(b) The cost-benefit analysis of the construction of the fly-over.
(c) Whether the aspect of piling up of vehicles at Panagal Park and Gemini Fly-Over, as a result of the proposes fly-over, has been examined and the results thereof.
(d) In the whole scheme whether the aesthetics, beauty, duty and comfort of the people moving on the road have been given any value at all.
3. The subject being sub-judice I find barricades are already put up and the work is about to commence.
I request your kind response to this letter.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
DR.K.R.RANGANATHAN
