THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tree Walk, a citizens’ collective, has come out strongly against the plan to axe a 150-year-old tree inside the Raj Bhavan campus, and has petitioned Governor Arif Mohammed Khan urging him to do away with the plan. The collective pointed out that the Raj Bhavan campus is one of the green lungs within the capital city.
The over-a-century-old mango tree, located behind the B type residential quarters, was identified by the Garden Supervisor and PWD authorities owing to its alleged dangerous position. A petition signed by around 100 nature lovers in the collective has been submitted to various authorities concerned.
In the petition, the collective states the fact that a fully-grown mango tree absorbs close to 15,000kg of carbon from the atmosphere in its lifetime – making it one of the best species to bring down the ill effects of climate change. The health of a tree can be assessed only by a scientific study carried out by the likes of Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur, the petition said. Tree Walk urged the authorities to reconsider the decision.