Six green trees axed in Panipat without permission

A complaint regarding the illegal cutting of six healthy trees from a park in Sector 12 was raised during the Samadhan Shivir held here today. The trees were allegedly felled without obtaining prior permission from the concerned authorities.

The complainant, Jagdish Kalra, a resident of Sector 11, urged the administration to take legal action against those responsible, terming the act a serious blow to the environment. “If the authorities fail to act, I will approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT),” he warned.

In his written complaint to Deputy Commissioner Dr Virender Kumar Dahiya, Kalra stated that while passing near the Nava Cot Gurudwara on Sunday, he saw some people axing green trees in the park located in front of the gurdwara. “When I asked them to show permission for cutting the trees, they could not give a satisfactory reply,” he said.

Kalra added that he immediately called the Dial 112 helpline, after which the individuals fled, leaving behind a cutting machine, tractor and motorcycle. “The Chandnibagh police reached the spot and took all the equipment and vehicles into custody,” he said.

Kalra said he had also submitted complaints to the Deputy Commissioner and the Municipal Corporation officials regarding the matter. Notably, he had earlier raised a similar issue of illegal tree cutting in a Sector 11 park and had approached the NGT in September last year.