CHENNAI: For the first time in phase II Metro Rail construction, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has translocated two 75-year-old exotic trees from the underground construction site on Bharathidasan Road to the Queen Mary’s College campus in the city.
Officials say that the trees that were shifted in July have been thriving in the new environment for the past few months.
The 75-year-old trees – Brazilian Iron Wood known by the botanical name Caesalpinia Ferrea – is 13-metre-high and, Mahogany – known as Swietenia Mahagoni in its botanical name – is 8 metres tall.
As these trees were located in the entry points of the underground construction site on Bharathidasan Road, CMRL had to relocate them with the help of our five-member environment team. T Archunan, director (Projects), CMRL said, “We relocated these trees due to lack of space. There were claims that these were heritage trees. So, the State green committee with forest officials, Chennai corporation and others, inspected the trees and found them belonging to exotic groups of trees and not heritage.”
After thorough inspections, the committee approved the translocation on January 9. “It also advised CMRL to translocate the trees only in July as the climate was more conductive for the trees. Following which we shifted the trees with geo-tagging,” he explained.
Since then, CMRL’s environment team has been conducting both weekly and monthly inspections, while also submitting a detailed report about it.
“Consistent efforts are being taken to safeguard the trees as they are the first exotic trees to be translocated during Metro Rail construction,” a team member said. “Regular monitoring has enabled these 2 trees to thrive in the new environment and showing healthy growth.”