Mangaluru: While Mangaluru City Corporation is going ahead with the work to lay the long-pending road between Kannagudde and Saripalla, activists have opposed felling by the corporation on Saturday evening of an old rain tree to facilitate the road work.

Following a demand by Kannagudde and Saripalla residents for an asphalt road, the corporation had sought permission from the Southern Railway as a portion of the land on which the road passes through belongs to the Railways.

Mayor Bhaskar K. said that the corporation paid ₹ 1.35 crore to the Railways that accorded permission for laying the road. The corporation has earmarked ₹ 85 lakh for laying the road. “It is a long pending demand of the residents. The road will come up in the next few weeks,” he said.

The corporation then sought permission from the Range Forest Officer, Mangaluru, for felling 26 trees coming in the way of the project. The RFO granted permission on August 9 for cutting down the old rain tree and 25 others that included badam, mango, jackfruit and Sagwani trees. While 25 trees were cut a few days ago, the old rain tree with 3.8 metres girth was cut down on Saturday evening. National Environment Care Federation Ullal unit president Naveen Nayak accused the corporation of unnecessarily removing the old rain tree that was by the side of the proposed road. “Despite the tree not coming in the way of the new road, it has been removed. This tree is nearly a century old,” he said and rued the apathy of the officials to preserving greenery.

Refuting the allegations, Mr. Bhaskar said that the old tree was removed as it was on the road shoulder-drain alignment and other utilities. “We care about trees. We do not unnecessarily cut them down,” he said and added that afforestation for the loss of 26 trees has been taken up on a land nearby.