Tension prevailed at Sarabendrarajanpattinam in Pattukottai taluk on Tuesday after a group of people staged a demonstration alleging that palmyrah trees were being felled in the name of setting up an International Dugong Conservation Centre (IDCC) along the coast.
Inquiries revealed that the Tamil Nadu Forest Department had started clearing the 2.46-hectare site on Sarabendrarajanpattinam beach, near Manora structure, identified for setting up the centre at a cost of around ₹41 crore. As part of the exercise, department sources said, some of the palmyrah trees out of 93 trees were uprooted and planted at a different place.
Meanwhile, a group of local people staged a demonstration on the construction site alleging that the trees were felled to pave way for construction of buildings for the IDCC.
Published – June 03, 2026 07:32 pm IST
