Green warriors on ‘Satyagraha’ in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 12

Several city-based environmentalists and activists led by Parkash Singh Bhatti are on ‘Satyagraha’ against axing and uprooting of more than 900 trees in a posh Ranjit Avenue locality.

Bhatti observed hunger strike against the attitude of the officials of the district administration, Amritsar Improvement Trust and Municipal Corporation.

The activists of Pollution Control Committee, Khudai Khidmatgar and Mission Agaaz joined the two-day ‘Satyagraha’ against the mindless chopping of trees planted in the posh Ranjit Avenue D block area by builders, shopkeeper and some timber contractors.

PS Bhatti alleged that they had planted hundreds of trees in the green belts of Ranjit Avenue over the years and had the data of every sapling planted.

“A large number of trees have been uprooted from the markets, pavements and footpaths by some influential people. They use the ditch machine to uproot the trees. Generally, they come with cutters, ditch machine and tractor-trailers on Sunday and chop trees, uproot it and load these in the trailer in a few minutes. In the past one year, over 900 fully-grown trees have been uprooted,” Bhati said.

The activists alleged that there is a mafia who operates in connivance with some locals and employees of the departments concerned and sell fully-grown Shisham trees, which is expensive and even fetch Rs1 lakh in the market.

On Friday, some shopkeepers, who reportedly chopped the trees, met the protesters and confessed that they had chopped the trees as it covered their shops. But no government official visited the demonstration. The ‘Satyagraha’ ended in the evening.

Bhatti said they would approach the National Green Tribunal and make the administration accountable if the government failed to act accordingly.