When nature’s abundance meets men’s attention
Vardha, the cyclone that rattled the South Indian city of Chennai, accelerated it’s falling urban greenery. And the pride of Chennai, for housing a forest, is at the south of the city, which suffered a great ordeal. Some of the very old trees were not able to withstand the winds recorded as the strongest in many decades.
With expansion of the campus buildings in IIT Madras, the greenery of the forest is slightly reduced.
The most heart wrenching part was that the calamity is how the resources of the land was handled.

The fallen trees were chopped and systematically sold out of the campus through bidding process. The wood and plants were not seen as the native resources of the forest but were chopped off, auctioned and sold out.
Those that were dry and partially uprooted were also cut down without consideration
It’s a flawed argument to clear off the materials of the forest citing reasons like dangers of fire, increased rodent and insect activity.

The once lush and green campus has suffered a great blow. The cyclone played it’s hand. But we humans too have our role to play. Conscious decision has been made to get rid of the materials of the forest where it rightly belongs.

The irony of the above image is disheartening!
In no way the (IITM)administration’s decision to clear off the trees is questioned. It’s decision is respected.
