NGT notice fails to stop cutting of trees

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 10

Axing of trees has picked up pace on the Sirhind-Patiala road following the notice from the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to the Punjab Government over its decision to cut 7,392 fully grown trees for the four-laning of the road.

On July 4, The Tribune had highlighted the issue in a report after NGOs and green activists opposed the move and submitted a petition before the NGT for stalling the process. The green watchdog had directed the respondents — Punjab Chief Secretary, Principal Chief Conservator Forest and Divisional Forest Officer (Patiala), Deputy Commissioner (Patiala) and the Public Works Department — to submit their replies before October 17, the next date of hearing.

Recently, residents of the villages, environmentalists and social activists from across the region had gathered at Adampur village to oppose the cutting of trees. On the other hand, Divisional Forest Officer Vidya Sagri maintained that after hearing the plea of the petitioners, the NGT had sent a notice and sought a reply till the next date of hearing. There is no stay on the cutting of trees, she added.

However, the sudden haste in cutting trees has irked the nature lovers. Engineer Kapli Arora and Dr Amandeep Singh Bains, the petitioners who filed a case in the NGT to stop the cutting of trees, said it was indeed ironic that on one hand Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann celebrates state-level Van Mahotsav and on the other hand over 7,000 standing green trees were being cut to widen the road.