NGOs unhappy with axing of trees

Tribune news service

Amritsar, March 22

The move to axe trees along the Old Jail road has come as a shocker for environmentalists in the city, who are constantly making efforts to save trees.

Lodging a protest over the “clean up” of the green cover by the administration, volunteers of Mission Aghaaz and other NGOs said it was “a blunder mistake”.

“We have been trying to save the green cover, which includes papal and banyan trees that are at least 150 years old, for over one year. We had met Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha over the issue and he had assured us of the needful action. Despite our best efforts, the trees were chopped off,” said Deepak Babbar from Mison Aghaaz.

Calling it a major environment disaster, Babbar said the Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) had planned to axe over 900 trees from the old jail complex on the Ajnala road. Last year, several religious leaders and activists had joined hands to protest against eradicating the green belt.

“The administration says that it is serious on the water conservation issue, but how can water conservation be made reality without trees? The green cover in the city has already been compromised,’ said Babbar.