The district forest department has lodged a complaint against Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) for illegally felling and cutting hundreds of trees located in the forests in the city. The FIR has been registered on the complaint of environmental activist Pradeep Dahalia with the Department.
“I have requested the Conservator of Forest to impose heavy penalty on GDA in proportion to the number of damaged trees,” said Akash Vashistha environmentalist and a lawyer with National Green Tribunal who talked to the conservator of the forest at Meerut on phone.
“I have also requested Conservator to issue urgent letters to Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), GDA, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation to follow the mandatory rule of seeking proper permission from forest department before cutting any tree. Also presence of a forest official should be made mandatory at the site while a tree is being cut even after the proper permission,” said Vashistha.
An activist allegedly counted the damage to the tune of hundreds of trees and reportedly supported his argument with the photographs enclosed with the report.
We have requested the department to arrest the concerned officials and submit charge-sheet against them in the court at earliest. “It is well within the power of forest department to arrest and submit charge sheet,” said the complainant Dahalia.