Heritage body urges rlys to conserve old tree at Coonoor station

Udhagamandalam: The Heritage Steam Chariot Trust (HSCT) has written to the southern railway seeking to conserve an old tree located within the premises of the Coonoor railway station , which is being redeveloped. K Natarajan, managing trustee, HSCT said, “The beautiful old tree has to be preserved, it should not be eliminated in the name of developing the station.” He further said that HSCT would require a minimal area of 70-100sq feet to retain the charm of the old tree.

“The tree requires a land size of at the most 10 by 10sq feet. There is enough space around the tree. We hope the railways will take our plea into consideration and let the tree survive,” Natarajan added.

The Coonoor railway station is being redeveloped at a cost of 6.7 crore under the ‘Amrith Bharath Station Scheme.’ The upgradation would provide modern amenities to passengers and beautify the station to enhance the travel experience of tourists.

This functional railway station which is part of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), is a UNESCO world heritage site..