Anxious over rising instances of felling trees, which increased alarmingly during last two years, a group of people observed day long fast near the Clock Tower on Sunday, protesting against the deadly instances. Immediate steps are requited to check the alarming trend or else the city would turn into desert and people would cry for fresh air.
Starting the fast under banner of Citizens For Green Doon at 10 am, the group members demanded immediate ban on felling of trees. Giving figures received through RTI, the group said that around 4,500, including 1,629 trees which were axed after being labeled dangerous, felled in the city during last two years. Chief coordinator of the group said that a new trend emerged for cutting the trees.
He said that the trees felled were labeled as dangerous. He said that while only 827 trees were felled as “dangerous” from 2000 to 2011, in last two years 1629 trees were labeled dangerous and were felled. He also blamed for grossly misuse of the provision for felling dangerous trees. He said that there should be proper monitoring of the provision and it should be ensured that it may not be misused..
Himanshu Arora said that if the alarming trend continued, in near future the city would turn into a desert. Now the citizen must decide that whether they want a green valley or one filled with the concrete buildings.
He also called for protection of leetchi and mango orchards. He also alleged that the forest department was giving permission for felling the fruit bearing trees.
The members said that there should be strict control over felling of healthy trees under guise of dangerous and demanded immediate steps for halting of unnecessary felling of green trees and administrative steps to conserve the leetchi and mango orchards of the city. The members said that the administration should start massive plantation to compensate the trees were felled.