Date:05/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/05/stories/2009010557280200.htm

Tamil Nadu

Trees pruned near airport

Special Correspondent

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

FOR SAFETY: Some of the pruned trees on GST Road in Meenambakkam.

TAMBARAM: The State Highways Department has pruned nearly two dozen fully grown trees alongside the Grand Southern Trunk Road in Meenambakkam, opposite the Chennai Airport.

The decision came in the wake of a communication from airport authorities to the Highways Department stating that the secondary runway was being used now more often than in the past.

Earlier, the runway was used only by a few aircraft and that too only once or twice a month. Now that it is being used more often, the fully grown and semi-adult trees that are more than more five metres in height came in the landing path of some of the aircraft, airport authorities had informed, the engineers said.

Following this, the trees were pruned to maintain them at a height of less than five metres.