Nagpur: An incident involving the violation of tree felling norms has led to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) and Keystone Infra Build Global Civil Project Private Limited in Nagpur.
The FIR was filed following the chopping of 150 trees, including 96 heritage trees and one trimmed Neem tree, between April 20 and 23 at the Ajni Railway Quarters, which forms part of the extended Ajni Vann area. The purpose of cutting down the trees was to facilitate the proposed Ajni Railway Station Redevelopment Plan.
Today’s Rate
Thu17 Oct. 2024
The offence of violating tree felling norms falls under the relevant section of the Maharashtra (Urban areas) Tree Protection and Preservation Act. The FIR was registered at Imambada Police Station in compliance with the orders from the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. The court had been hearing a petition filed by the Swacch Foundation, an environmental organization, opposing the proposed depletion of the extended green cover of Ajni Vann in favour of the Ajni Railway Station Redevelopment Project.
Despite the green crusaders providing evidence of tree felling to the Imambada police on two occasions, the authorities initially delayed taking action, citing the case as “sub-judice” due to the ongoing high court proceedings. The high court questioned the government regarding the reasons for the delays in registering the offence, prompting the police to file the FIR.
The trees that were cut down included several heritage trees, some of which were reported to be over 100 years old. This raised concerns among environmentalists and the Swacch Foundation, who highlighted the impact on the extended green cover of Ajni van and the loss of valuable heritage trees.
The FIR registered against the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) and Keystone Infra Build Global Civil Project Private Limited highlights the violation of tree felling norms during the proposed Ajni Railway Station Redevelopment Plan. The case, initiated following the chopping of 150 trees, including 96 heritage trees, has attracted attention from environmentalists and the Swacch Foundation.
The delay in taking action by the authorities has been addressed after the intervention of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, which prompted the police to file the FIR. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving green spaces and protecting heritage trees in urban areas.
The court, which has already issued notices to the concerned departments, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is now slated to hear the case again post-vacation on June 9. The court had also extended interim relief to the petitioners by directing the authorities to stop work until further orders.
It had also asked RLDA and its private contractor to explain their stand as to why action cannot be initiated against them. The petitioner had claimed before the court that the RLDA and its private contractor did not seek prior permission from the Maharashtra tree authority or the Nagpur Municipal Corporation before chopping and trimming trees at Ajni Vann.
The announcement of the latest project with malls, commercial complexes, entertainment hubs and so on has ignited yet another round of furore now with greens joining hands to revive yet another episode of protests and agitations. The mega project plan would require substantial land from Nagpur central jail, Food Corporation of India, Government Medical College and Hospital and Irrigation Colony.
The protesters had also handed over a letter to Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis last week expressing their opposition.
