MG College in Thiruvananthapuram has cut down around 46 trees for a new internal campus road and safety-related works, prompting concern among students who said they were not initially told why the trees had been removed.
Students returning after a three-day holiday found several trees felled along the stretch between the chemistry department and the canteen. They said the trees had provided shade and were commonly used as places to relax, study and spend time with friends.
A second-year BSc Physics student said the college had been closed since the previous week for valuation work and that students were saddened when they returned to find the trees gone. The students’ concern, according to the report, was primarily about the lack of clarity surrounding the decision rather than opposition to development on the campus.
The issue was subsequently raised with the college authorities. Students said the management explained that the cutting was connected to proposed development and safety concerns. They added that they were satisfied after receiving the explanation and being told about the planned works.
“We are not against development. Now that the management has explained the reasons and promised development, we are fine with the decision,” a student said.
College principal Kishore Kumar said around 46 trees had been cut, including old trees and those considered a threat to people and the college building. He said the college was constructing a new road inside the campus and that some trees had to be removed for the work.
“Trees that posed danger to people and the college building were also removed. The corporation had also directed us to remove trees that threatened people,” Kumar said.
The removal places the focus on how institutions balance campus expansion and safety with the environmental and social value of mature trees. In this case, students described the trees not only as sources of shade but also as shared spaces used during everyday campus life. The college’s explanation indicates that the work involved both planned construction and the removal of trees considered hazardous.
Students said the college authorities had informed them that no more trees would be cut on the campus. No further details about the road’s design, construction schedule, tree-removal permissions or compensatory planting were provided in the report.
