Courtesy: Google Earth

Residents of Ahmedabad’s Panjrapole-IIM area filed a complaint against Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for planning to chop down over 100 age-old trees in the area on the night of June 9.

Amid the aspirations of being a ‘green city’, the authorities have planned to chop down a significant number of trees in Panjrapole and the Indian Management Institute (IIM) area for the Panjrapole flyover, slated to connect Ambawadi to Vastrapur in an L-shape.

For the construction of the 652 m long and 17 m wide Panjrapole flyover, a total of 133 trees are to be cut by AMC.

On the night of June 9, the residents protested against AMC workers who came to chop the trees.

Though the trees were not cut, the residents are keen to file a writ in the High Court regarding the change in direction of the bridge.

Locals also allege that corporation officials are changing the direction of the bridge to benefit commercial units. As per The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) recommended that the bridge be built in the direction with the most traffic flow. However, the local authorities have decided to build the bridge in a different direction, from Nehru Nagar to Gujarat University. Locals argue that this decision is arbitrary and violates CRRI norms.

Environmentalists have also warned to file a police complaint against the Municipal Commissioner, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Mayor and Standing Committee Chairman if trees are cut down to build a flyover bridge, suggest the reports.

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Ahmedabad to get two new flyovers at Panjrapol and Panchvati junctions