Illegal construction dismantled to free trees
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, November 17
The Dharamsala municipal council today removed the constructions raised in a private property near Chonor House, a leading hotel in McLeodganj, to free the trees taken in concrete structures.
The acting executive officer of the Dharamsala municipal council Sanjeev Saini said that Kangra Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan had received a complaint that a lot of trees were being included in the new building being raised near Chonor House. He has directed the officials concerned to visit the area and take action. A visit to the site revealed that many trees were taken inside the concrete roof of the building. The council authorities freed the trees of construction. A case under the MC Act has been registered against the building owner.
The acting executive officer also said it was found that two stories of the building were approved by the Municipal Council but the owner had constructed four stories. “We are preparing a notice that would soon be issued to the owner of the building,” he said.
It was only in the recent past that the Dharamsala Municipal Council has started taking action against the persons taking trees inside their constructions in McLeodganj area. The action was taken after the Himachal High Court took serious view of the matter on a PIL filed on the complaint of an overseas Indian staying in McLeodganj.
The practice of taking green Deodar trees that are a vital part of the ecology of McLeodganj area inside building had been rampant.
Owners generally take trees inside their building and later plead with the district administration that they were posing threat to their buildings to get permissions to fell them.
After the Himachal High Court took cognisance of the matter the forest and municipal council authorities have admitted that about 100 trees were felled in McLeodganj and its surrounding areas. However, they have not been able to ascertain the time period in which the trees were felled.
The municipal council has now approached the Himalayan Forest Research Institute to help them ascertain the age and time period of felled trees so that the responsibility could be fixed.
