Axing of trees was pre-approved, we have reduced the damages: PEC Director

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 9

High drama was witnessed over allegations of axing trees at the Punjab Engineering College (PEC) campus, however authorities said the project was approved by the President of India and was in pipeline since one year. As per allegations, some faculty members said that the authorities have been uprooting trees to make way for the beautician purposes. “The authorities wanted to widen the road and also to beautify area. A case in this regard was also filed in NGT. In such times, the authorities should know the importance of tress instead of axing them. We have high sentiments attached to these trees and the authorities are ignoring this fact,” said one of the faculty members. “The project was approved and the tender was allotted, even before I joined here. The original plan was to cut nearly 90 tress but after consulting the community of faculty, experts and students, it was decided to axe only 12 or 15 trees, which are ornamentals. This was not decided overnight. It took us over one year to come to a consensus with all stakeholders. The contractor was stopped from performing the job at that time even he was awarded for it. We have already planted more than 300 trees in the campus,” said Prof Dheeraj Sanghi, Director, PEC.