20 trees at Gandhi Vanita Ashram to make way for women's hostel

After the felling of over 20 trees on the premises of the former civil surgeon's office in Jalandhar for the construction of the Critical Care Unit last year, 20 trees now face the axe on the premises of the Gandhi Vanita Ashram compound in Jalandhar.

As per conservative estimates, 10 trees - which were at least 25 to 30 years old - have already been axed on the ashram compound to make way for Working Women's Hostel, which will come up at the site.

Officials, however, said the trees have been axed with the permission from the Forest Department for the hostel. They also added that 100 trees will be planted in place of the 20 axed trees.

The felling of these trees from the ashram premises began on March 14 in the morning.

A trolley full of tree trunk, branches and wood has already been removed from the ashram premises - even as 10 trees more to be axed.

A woman staff member at the ashram said, "Over 10 trees have already been cut and some of these did not fall in the covered area of the hostel. Trees out of the hostel area couldn't be axed. Some of these were flower and fruit bearing trees which were over 30 years old."

Ranjit Singh, contractor, tasked with the felling of the trees said, "I have been tasked with the felling of tress by the department. We have bought the trees with a certain price and will remove these from the area allocated to us by officials. Ten trees have been cut, several more are to go."

District Programme Officer Manjinder Singh said, "The tree cutting process is being strictly allowed only in the area where the Working Women's Hostel's building will be coming up. No other area except the approved map is being touched. The cutting began after due permission from the department. For each tree, five more will be planted. So we will be planting 100 trees on the periphery of the hostel."