India, April 17 -- By Bhamy V. Shenoy

April 13 is likely to be remembered as a black day in Mysuru's environmental history. In the early hours of that morning, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), in an act shrouded in secrecy, carried out a green massacre by axing more than 40 fully grown, decades-old heritage trees lining Hyder Ali Road.

The operation was deliberately executed in the dead of night to avoid public backlash and prevent intervention by environmentalists.

Outraged by what they describe as a heinous crime against nature and humanity, given that the environmental impact of tree-felling resonates far beyond local boundaries - activists and NGOs have launched a full-fledged movement. This time, they say, it will not be a symbo...