Govt empanels expert cos To advise local bodies on protection, felling of trees
| Date :17-Jan-2024 |
By Kaushik Bhattacharya
Government of Maharashtra has empanelled three expert private agencies to provide technical advice to local tree authorities in the state for plantation, preservation, protection and felling of trees recently. The State Government has allowed the local tree authorities to take decision about tree felling in their jurisdiction under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975 recently. As per the amendment in the Act, the local tree authorities are free to take decision about the fate of trees and for this, the expert agencies will help the authorities through scientific ways. Oscorp Infra Solution Private Limited, S K Enterprise, and N K Shah Infraprojects are the three companies that will provide technical advice to the local tree authorities before taking any decision about tree felling, plantation, maintenance and translocation of trees. However, green activists of the city raised objection over the appointment of all the three agencies from Mumbai. The greens want expert companies to be from Nagpur instead of some other city.
According to the Government Resolution (GR) issued on January 15, all the three agencies have been selected on the basis of their expertise and technical knowledge in maintenance and conservation of trees. Kaustav Chatterjee, Founder, Green Vigil Foundation and former Member of Local Tree Committee said, “Having expert company for back-up technical support is a welcome step. But, as all three companies are from Mumbai, it will be difficult for them to cover the entire State. It would have been much better if local expert companies would have been selected. Being local, their help will be readily available. They will know the ground reality better than any outside expert. Also, it will be more cost effective and decision will be taken quickly,” said Chatterjee.In Nagpur, there are many professional companies working on plantation programmes, experts, scientists and environmental activists who can be empanelled, added Chatterjee.
N K Shah Infraprojects has experience in garden development and management, tree pruning, cutting and transplantation, tree risk assessment, tree census, tree and shrub plantations. As for remaining two companies -- S K Enterprises and Oscorp Infra Solution Private Limited, no details are available on internet about their expertise in environment conservation activity as both have no website available. However, both companies also have the same Director. “There is no need to appoint different experts to decide the fate of trees in local bodies. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had its own tree committee which was dissolved without giving any reason by the then Chairman. Instead of this, Government should have appointed local experts for this,” said Prachi Mahurkar, former Member, Local Tree Committee. “Appointing a company means the local body will pay them against their technical expertise. Earlier, we the ex-members, did the same thing on honorary basis,” Mahurkar added.
NMC appointed a local tree committee under the chairmanship of the then Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B. But after couple of months the committee was dissolved without any reason. Since then, no local tree committee has been formed and all decisions of tree felling are taking by the civic body. Anasuya Kale Chhabrani, a green activist and Director, Swacch Nagpur NGO said, “Dissolving the local tree committee and appointing experts from outside city is a bad decision by the Government. Because, the expert company will act like a ‘Yes Man’ for the authority concerned. Instead of this, the local tree committee should be re-appointed by the civic body.” The local experts are
very well aware about the trees and the climate of the city. They will advice in a right manner for better functioning and accountability, added Chhabrani.