Staff Reporter :
Garden Department received proposals to cut 916 trees for
various projects last month. No hearing conducted on the objections raised
over these proposals
With tree panel defunct, Garden Deptt granting nod without hitch
In absence of local tree committee, Garden Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is granting permissions for tree felling for various projects across city.
In February month, the Department published nine notices of tree felling for different projects. The project proponents asked for the permission to fell 916 trees including heritage trees.
However, the tree committee which was formed in February 2022, was dissolved by the then Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Radhakrishnan B within four months of its formation. In absence of the committee, the Department is on own deciding on the proposals for cutting trees.
Citizens are raising objections on the tree felling proposals but the Garden Department allowed all projects seeking tree felling.
In recent proposals, the Department published nine notices in a month seeking objections from people but didn’t hold hearing.
“As a member of the previous tree committee, we always objected to permission granted without proper enquiry.
Now, with the committee defunct, the Garden Department is taking decisions on tree-felling on own,” Sachin Khobragade, who was a member of Local Tree Committee, told The Hitavada.
In last one month, Dharampeth Zone asked permission to fell 90 trees, including 7 heritage trees; Maha Metro asked for 117 trees at two different sites; Public Works Department of NMC asked to fell 102 trees; Government Medical College want to fell 80 trees including 5 heritage whereas the Government Dental College asked to fell 82 trees including nine heritage trees in its premises; ITI Nagpur want to cut 254 trees; and in the latest the Irrigation Department started felling 188 trees on the slop of Ambazari lake. The Department received many objections for these tree felling in last one month but no personal hearing took place, so far.
“When the Dental College is the part of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), then how has the hospital asked for cutting 162 trees in two different projects? We always raised such questions before the tree committee when it was functional, but now no one is taking care of all this and the Department is giving permission to all projects without proper enquiry,” concluded Khobragade.