Felling of trees to make road stopped after SP MLA’s protest in Meerut
Opposing felling of trees for the construction of second phase of “Kanwar Marg” along the Madhya Ganga Canal, Atul Pradhan, the Samajwadi Party MLA from Meerut’s Sardhana, staged a protest at the office of chief conservator of forests (Meerut zone) NK Janu
Opposing felling of trees for the construction of second phase of “Kanwar Marg” along the Madhya Ganga Canal, Atul Pradhan, the Samajwadi Party MLA from Meerut’s Sardhana, staged a protest at the office of chief conservator of forests (Meerut zone) NK Janu.
Some of his supporters and villagers were also present there. Pradhan later met the chief conservator and accused forest officials and PWD department of felling trees beyond the area approved for the construction of “Kanwar Marg”.
Pradhan also alleged that the officials were ignoring the case being heard by the national green tribunal ( NGT) in this regard. As per the MLA, the next hearing of the case in NGT is on July 8. He said he along with his supporters and villagers will go there to raise their voice for protecting trees. The MLA said he will also raise the issue in the state assembly.
Divisional forest officer Rajesh Kumar said, “I have directed the contractor to stop felling of trees until he gets a report regarding charges levelled by the MLA.” He, however, claimed that the NGT has already heard the case in its four hearings and the next hearing is on July 8, adding no directions were passed to stay the felling of trees.
DFO said more than double the saplings and trees felled here would be planted in Mirzapur to compensate for the loss. Meanwhile, a list of more than 2,500 saplings and trees have been prepared which could be transplanted in nearby area, he added.
“We too want that only necessary trees need to be felled for the project”, said the DFO who claimed that felling of trees was going on as per the approval and he along with his staff was monitoring the exercise.
On Sunday, the MLA and his supporters also visited the construction site and replicated the “Chipko movement” by hugging trees to protect them from felling. He took divisional forest officer Rajesh Kumar to the felling site. They walked over a stretch of five km there to verify the charges of felling of trees even beyond the marked area.
“People of the area faced scorching heat a few days ago when temperature rose to 48 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, we need to protect trees from felling because only trees can provide us relief,” the SP legislator said as he along with his supporters and villagers hugged trees symbolising their protection.
He also asked as to what was the logic behind planting saplings in Mirzapur district ( more than 500 km away) to compensate felling of more than 1.12 lakh trees and saplings in Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar districts from where the “ Kanwar Marg” will pass through to connect Hardwar.
He alleged that the contractor was felling trees in an area of 40- metre while the approved stretch for construction is 20-metre. Divisional forest officer Rajesh Kumar said, “I have directed the contractor to stop felling of trees until he gets a report regarding charges levelled by the MLA.”