CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday vacated its stay order against felling of 1,838 trees for construction of a medical college in Nilgiris that was once the Hindustan Photo Films Manufacturing Company (HPFMC).

As several stakeholders are involved, the court directed the State to adopt a scientific approach in felling of fully grown trees and to preserve each of them with adequate security before auctioning them.  The two-member bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and  R Hemalatha passed the directions on the batch of pleas seeking to restrain the State from felling trees.

The court earlier restrained the State from the felling trees in the sensitive zone for the construction of a medical college. Advocate General Vijay Narayan on Wednesday submitted that all the necessary permissions and clearances have been obtained.

The State has also identified a total of 50 acres of land for the afforestation programme, for the 1,838 fully grown trees, that will be felled. The petitioner sought the court to pass directions to the State to carry out afforestation programme in the district where the trees are being felled. The bench expressed disappointment that afforestation programmes are not being followed as per rule and ordered the State to file a detailed report and adjourned it to December 14.