Funeral procession of trees in Rohtak!

In a novel way of protest, residents took out a "funeral procession" of trees on Friday to register their objection to the felling of trees to make way for residential plots in Sector 6 of Rohtak.

The protesters, carrying "effigies" of trees on a tractor-trailer and JCB machine, passed through main roads of the city. They also carried placards and raised slogans against the felling of trees.

The "funeral procession" reached the local mini-secretariat, but the protesters were not allowed to enter the building compound by the police personnel deployed at the gate.

The residents, led by local social activist and former AAP leader Naveen Jaihind, staged a protest demonstration in front of the gate.

Eventually, representatives of the protesters met the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum to him. The protesters complained before the Deputy Commissioner that fully grown and green trees up to 20 years old had been cut in Sector 6 of Rohtak. The two main demands of the residents include stopping the felling of trees and action against the officials on whose directions the trees had been cut.

Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta assured the protesters that the matter would be examined and no anti-environment step taken. Earlier this week, an elderly resident climbed a tree and threatened to hang himself as workers accompanied by police force reached a site in Sector 6 to cut trees.