Kochi, Aug 22 (IANS): More than 100 trees, including teak, were successfully replanted Thursday after being removed from a spot where the first IT tower of Kerala's Smart City Kochi is coming up, an official said.

The trees, with girth size of less than 50 centimetres, were relocated to facilitate the construction of a 6.50 lakh square feet building, the official said.

"Though the transplantation process is expensive and complicated, we understand the importance of preserving nature," said Baju George, managing director, Smart City Kochi.

Smart City Kochi is part of a special economic zone (SEZ) on a 250-acre plot and a joint venture between Smart City Dubai and the Kerala government.

The preliminary construction work has started and the SEZ is expected to be ready in 18 months.

Abdullatif Al Mulla, CEO of Smart City Dubai, said they follow global practices for environmental conservation and utilisation of green.

"We aim to develop the land by giving special care to the existing natural flora and fauna," said Al Mulla, adding that they will plant 10 saplings for each tree cut.

The state's social forestry department has conducted a detailed survey on the trees and segregated the varieties for transplantation.