Mangaluru : The National Environment Care Foundation, a body of green activists, on Friday urged the government to withdraw from its decision to build a district office complex on 5.89 acres at Padil to save trees.

Addressing press persons here, Shashidhar Shetty, convener of the foundation, said many trees would have to be cut for the project. Using seeds of at least 15 varieties, the Forest Department had developed saplings in its nursery located on the same land. It was the largest green patch remaining in the city and the government should protect it, he said.

Mr. Shetty said a joint survey by a team comprising officials from the Forest Department and members of the foundation had found 502 trees on the land. Of them, 190 had girth over 30 cm.

An advocate had challenged the decision of the government in the Chennai Bench of the National Green Tribunal. The joint survey was done on the instruction from the tribunal.

The advocate approached the tribunal challenging the government’s decision to hand over land belonging to the Karnataka State Forest Industries’ Corporation for the project. The next hearing at the tribunal is on June 17.