At least 140 trees to be felled for Changanassery flyover project in Kottayam

Kottayam: With preliminary work for the proposed flyover at the Changanassery railway junction underway, around 140 trees along the Changanassery Bypass—the stretch through which the flyover will pass—are set to be cut down. The flyover is designed to begin near the new gate of the railway station and end near the Kanthari restaurant, crossing over the busy junction.

The Forest Department has already granted permission for tree felling. The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation, which is executing the project, said that the removal will begin once formal approval is received from the District Tree Committee. Compensation has already been distributed to 64 landowners whose properties were acquired for the project. However, a case related to five plots owned by a single individual is still pending in court. Construction will commence once this case is resolved.

The project has received administrative sanction of ₹85.68 crore, and full-scale work is expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to Changanassery legislator Job Michael.

Beautiful, but risky too
While the tree-lined Bypass offers shade and visual appeal, many of the trees are now decaying and pose safety risks. Recently, a tree was uprooted near AKM School, and two more had fallen in the same area in previous months. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, repeated incidents of uprooting have caused damage worth several lakhs to Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) infrastructure. In light of this, residents are advocating a balanced approach, retaining and pruning healthy trees post-construction, while replacing high-risk trees with smaller, safer species.