Srinagar Sept 3: Authorities in Kerala’s Malappuram district have drawn flak for felling of a tree for widening of the National Highway which however led to killing of several newly-hatched Indian Cormorant chicks even as several eggs were also destroyed, reports said.
In a purported video of the incident, a tree teeming with nesting birds is seen being uprooted on National Highway 66 in Randathani in Kerala’s Malappuram district. According to a report in The Newsminute, one such tree felling incident is believed to be from first week of August. The latest incident, which happened on September 1, has been reported from VK Padi near Thirurangadi.
The video of the incident showed birds flying away, and numerous cormorant chicks falling down as an earthmover brought down a tamarind tree. Netizens slammed the Kerala government for the ruthless move. “Everybody need a house. How cruel we can become, ” noted IFS officer Parveen Kaswan wrote while uploading the video of the tree felling. “Humans are pathetic creatures, ” wrote one netizen Aryavrat.
Everybody need a house. How cruel we can become. Unknown location. pic.twitter.com/vV1dpM1xij
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) September 2, 2022
Another netizen Pawan Gupta said, “It’s really very harsh and inhuman act with nature, by this we only destroying the future, Save Nature, Save Earth So Save the Future”.
As per the TNM report, he Kerala Forest Department has initiated a legal action against the “guilty” contractor. Indian Cormorant (known as Neerkaka in Malayalam) comes under Schedule 4 of Indian Wildlife Protection Act.