Mangaluru: 400 trees to be axed for Deputy Commissioner’s office

Mangaluru: Environmentalists are furious over the government’s decision to construct the Deputy Commissioner’s office on a site which has over 400 trees. Claiming that the land marked for the construction of the DC office has trees of different species, National Environment Care Federation has opposed the decision of Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai and a few elected representatives to shift the DC office to Padil.

Petitions filed by three individuals against this decision to shift DC office to Padil have already been admitted in the court. “The land at Padil owned by Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation Limited is marked for the new DC office. It has more than 478 trees as well as rare species which provide food and shelter to various animals, birds and other creatures,” Federation joint secretary Daniel Tauro said.

“As per the Forest Conservation Act 1980, this land qualifies to be a deemed forest. Most of these trees will have to be cut if the office is built here which will lead to destruction of our environment,” he said adidng the office could have been constructed on government land at Bangrakulur.