Nehru Park metro station. File
| Photo Credit: M. Vedhan
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has informed the Madras High Court of its decision to lower the roof slabs of underground stations being constructed under Phase II of the project in the city by 5 m, so that enough soil could be filled on top of them for planting saplings of trees which would have deep roots.
The submission was made before Justice M. Dhandapani, who had decided to keep a watch over the number of trees that had been felled/being felled by CMRL in Panagal Park, Nehru Park, as well as Shenoy Nagar Park, and the steps being taken to provide alternative green cover to compensate for the loss of the trees.
The judge requested amicus curiae Chevanan Mohan, senior counsel Jayesh B. Dolia, representing CMRL, and the members of Chennai district green committee to visit the city parks, which had been affected due to the construction of the metro rail, and submit a report by February 17 on the steps required to be taken from an environmental perspective.
The orders were passed after taking note of the district green committee’s submission that CMRL had redeveloped 7,137 sq. m out of the total extent of 10,875 sq. m of Nehru Park, which fell under the already completed Phase I of the project, in Egmore, and handed it over to the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The court was also told that a total of 65 trees were felled in Nehru Park for the construction of a metro station there, and that 791 saplings, at the ratio of 1:12 for each felled tree, were planted inside the Central Prison at Puzhal in order to compensate for the loss of the green cover in the city.
Insofar as Panagal Park in T. Nagar was concerned, the judge was informed that CMRL was utilising 10,717 sq. m out of the total extent of 17,385 sq. m of the park, and that the construction work would get over only in 2027 since this park fell under the ongoing Phase II of the project.
Mr. Dolia said that the district green committee had given permission to CMRL for felling 186 trees in Panagal Park, and that 163 of them had already been felled. After recording his submission, the judge called for a report listing out the total number of trees that were in existence in the park.
The judge also sought more details with respect to CMRL’s plan to lower the roof slab of underground stations by 5 m in order to plant saplings of trees with deep roots. He wanted to know how the CMRL had planned to go about the restoration of green cover and the timelines within which the work would be completed.
When Mr. Mohan complained that CMRL was unable to plant more number of saplings at Thiru Vi Ka Park in Shenoy Nagar, which fell under Phase I, because of private buses being parked there, the judge directed the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to prevent unauthorised parking of vehicles around the park.
Incidentally, the judge also broached the issue of complaints regarding a subway being constructed by Southern Railway near the Reserve Bank of India building and abutting the High Court premises and asked Southern Railway counsel P.T. Ramkumar to submit the details regarding the construction by February 17.
Published – February 01, 2025 02:54 pm IST