Palampur’s flora under threat, in need of govt attention

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, February 2

The picturesque town of Palampur is regarded as an ideal retreat for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. However, the town faces the threat of consequences of indiscriminate human activity.

Despite the green cover in the town facing a serious threat, there is no check on fallen and lopping trees. The town is quickly losing its greenery, with concrete jungles constructed to replace it. Unfortunately, the Municipal Corporation, Forest Department, and the environment agencies of state seem to show no concern regarding the situation. The deodar trees of Palampur, planted by the British some 150 years ago, were once regarded as the beauty of the town. However, the trees seem to be vanishing by the day.

In the last decade, over two hundred deodar trees have either been axed or dried up.

No effort was made by the authorities concerned to ascertain the reason for the sudden collapse of dozens of these trees. In the last few years, various government departments have seemingly been nonchalant about forest laws.

Recently, about half a dozen 100-year-old trees were axed at the MC office premises. However, nobody in the administration seemed to know who granted the permission to cut these trees.

“Currently, the population of Palampur is around 60,000, and it is expected to reach 70,000 in the next five years. Indiscriminate human activity has taken us to the edge of environmental chaos,” an environmentalist said.

“The poor implementation of the polythene ban has virtually made matters worse as all water channels and forestlands are infested with polythene,” he added.

“Scientists, engineers, senior politicians, and civil servants who have settled in this town must share their expertise for the sustainable development of Palampur for social and environmental change,” said PC Kapoor, a retired IAS Officer. Expressing concern over the environmental degradation in the town, he said, “We have the capacity to educate the people, assist the state government and work with other such organizations for achieving our objectives.