PAC opposes axing of trees for channel lining

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 14

The Public Action Committee (PAC) has served a notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Forest as well as Irrigation Departments of the state after it was found that 1.05 hectares of forest land had been diverted for non-forestry purposes (concrete lining), situated along a channel from Ayali Khurd to Fatehpur.

PAC members Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira said Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Central), MoEF&CC, Chandigarh, had given the final approval for the diversion of 1.05 hectares of forest land for non-forestry purpose and the Forest Department had decided to axe over 250 trees along the stream between Ayali Khurd to Fatehpur.

“Such approval has been given for concrete lining of the stream whose catchment hosts a small densely forested pocket acting as lungs for the urban area. It is a well-known fact that there is an acute shortage of forest land within the urban expanse of Ludhiana and with the construction of elevated roads and private projects along Sidhwan canal and the existing area is decreasing considerably . Besides, compulsory afforestation is being done far from location at the Mattewara Forest,” said Arora.

PAC’s Dr Amandeep Singh Bains and Jaskirat Singh added that with concrete lining of the distributary, the discharge flow of discharge would increase, thus the lining of channel could be done by reducing the width without harming the trees at this location.

“Keeping in view the wrong decision taken by the MoEF&CC and the Forest Department, we have served notices to all the officials concerned with the demand of reversing the decision of conversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes as well as to drop the decision of felling trees growing along this distributary. In case, we do not get appropriate reply within next 10 days, we will move the National Green Tribunal,” Jaskirat Singh said.

District Forest Officer Rajesh Kumar Gulati said the ministry had approved for the felling of trees and more trees would be planted to compensate for the loss. “We have got the approval but the lining process is yet to begin,” he said.