Court Delivers Heavy Blow to Forest Minister,Forest Department Faces Another Setback: High Court Orders Removal of Dangerous Trees on National Highway 85

Kochi| The arrogance of the Forest Department has met with another setback on National Highway 85. The High Court has ordered the removal of dangerous trees standing along the stretch from Neriamangalam to Irumbupalam within 30 days. A report confirming the action must be submitted to the court. The order was issued by a Division Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Mohammed Mushtaq.

For years, residents have demanded the removal of trees in this area, where frequent accidents have occurred due to trees falling. Just two months ago, a large tree collapsed onto a moving car, instantly killing one person and severely injuring several others. Despite repeated public protests led by independent farmer organizations and political parties, the Forest Department only removed a few trees as a token gesture, doing little to address the ongoing danger.

With trees continuing to fall and cause accidents daily, LDF leaders, local traders, and the National Highway Development Committee met with the Chief Minister and the Forest and Revenue Ministers to highlight the seriousness of the issue. However, the Forest Department remained reluctant to act, prompting Adimali resident Santhosh Madhavan to petition the High Court to intervene.

The court has now ordered that the dangerous trees must be removed within 30 days, with the District Collector, who also serves as the Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, tasked with overseeing the operation. The Forest Department officials have been instructed to either remove the trees themselves or convene the Tree Committee to carry out the task.

Road development along the 14.5-kilometer stretch from Neriamangalam to Valara has been stalled due to the Forest Department’s refusal to release the necessary land. In a related case filed by the independent farmer organization “KIFA,” the court had earlier ruled that the Forest Department has no authority over the 100-foot-wide strip of land passing through the forest between Neriamangalam and Valara. However, the Forest Department has continued to assert its rights over the road, ignoring the court’s decision. Despite the court’s ruling, the government has yet to take action to survey and demarcate the land, separating forest land from the land allocated for the road. The National Highway Development Committee’s request to complete the survey and clarify the boundaries has not been addressed. Consequently, the ₹1000 crore national highway development project in the area remains completely stalled due to the lack of land clearance.