Nasheed to seek court order against Ameenee Magu tree removal

Speaker Mohamed Nasheed will file a case at the Civil Court on Thursday for a court order to stop the removal of large trees from Ameenee Magu for road construction, his attorneys announced on Wednesday. 

Shunana&Co LLP said on Twitter that Nasheed decided to file the case because removal of the trees from Ameenee Magu will cause irreparable damage to the environment.

"We will also seek a temporary injunction order," the firm said. 

The former president has earlier expressed concern over the issue. He said last week that authorities should think again about the removal of trees and that he was ready to take the contractor to court to prevent it.

Meanwhile, West Henveiru MP Hassan Latheef on Tuesday submitted a motion to the parliament expressing concern over the uprooting of large trees from on Ameenee Magu for road construction.

Project contractor Road Development Corporation (RDC) has announced that the uprooted trees will be transported to Kudagiri, a picnic island being developed by the government. The company has said that the underground network of pipes and cables were severely affected by the trees and that the road could not be developed without removing them.

Trees on the east side of Ameenee Magu near Dharubaaruge convention centre have been felled.

RDC said last week that although Ameenee Magu was planned to be developed environmentally friendly, there were many challenges in carrying out the renovation of the road as it had underground water pipes, sewerage and other networks.