Thiruvananthapuram: The city seems to have lost more than 50 to 60 trees since June 2025, many of them cut for road work or as a preventive measure as part of disaster management. An informal audit by Tree Walk, an NGO, showed that around 50 trees were cut on the Vattiyoorkavu-Peroorkada stretch, where road work is progressing. Many trees were cut on Maruthankuzhy-Vattiyoorkavu section, including a tall blackboard tree, mango trees, a green Indian ash tree, a silk cotton tree and a few other species. In addition to this, 20 trees were pruned haphazardly along Kowdiar-Vellayambalam stretch. Many of the trees were cut or pruned, leaving only the stump, after the heavy rain accompanied by strong wind last monsoon. This happened after the disaster management authorities issued a blanket order to cut trees if they were found to be at risk of falling. This encouraged people to cut trees on private properties. Anitha Sharma of Tree Walk said that the beginning of the tree cutting was when a rare small-leaved mahogany tree near Secretariat was cut on a rainy morning. “The reason was that the tree grew too big and was a threat to a nearby building,” she said. “A very large area of Kowdiar Palace adjacent to the newly constructed collector’s bungalow was denuded of greenery. Similarly, the trees along the wall of Keltron in Vellayambalam facing the road to Vazhuthacaud were cut,” she added. Many trees were cut indiscriminately without scientific assessment, while many were pruned haphazardly, causing further harm, said a former forest official. The rate of tree loss has increased since the authority to decide on tree felling was taken away from the forest department. Tree lovers are of the opinion that preservation of trees at development sites should be considered at the planning stages itself; instead, trees are considered as problems.
