Nagpur: Citizens and environment activists gathered at the Garden Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Tuesday to voice their objections to the felling of 294 trees for three different projects in the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) premises.
The GMCH administration had requested permission from the Garden Department to cut down trees for the construction of a new girls’ hostel, paying ward, and the upcoming platinum jubilee function in December. While there were few objections to the overall projects, citizens expressed their concerns about the fate of the trees.
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Tuesday 05 Nov. 2024
During the public hearing, environmentalists raised questions regarding the absence of information about the age of the trees in the public hearing notice, which is required under the Urban Tree Act. According to Kaustav Chatterjee, Founder of the Green Vigil Foundation, if any tree is older than 50 years, the decision should be made by the State Level Tree Committee. However, in this case, the local tree authority published the notice in newspapers without mentioning the age of the trees.
Additionally, citizens questioned why the projects were presented as separate endeavours when they were all being carried out within the same premises. By considering all three projects together, it was revealed that a total of 294 trees would be felled. As this number exceeded 200, citizens argued that the case should be referred to the State Level Committee for further review.
Swachh Nagpur, a local NGO, objected specifically to the felling of 21 mature trees for the Platinum Jubilee program of GMCH, which will only last for a single day in December. The NGO suggested changing the venue to an open space to avoid the unnecessary cutting of trees in one of the few remaining green patches in South West Nagpur.
Citizens also raised concerns about the lack of a compensatory plantation plan for the proposed tree felling. They questioned why the Medical College had not already undertaken compensatory plantation efforts, considering the significant number of trees that were set to be cut down for the infrastructure development.
Sachin Khobragade, a former member of the local tree committee, highlighted that under the amended Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 2021, the local tree authority should carefully handle applications for permission to fell more than 200 trees. In such cases, the proposal should be sent by the local tree authority to the State Tree Committee. However, in violation of this rule, the GMCH administration sought permission directly from the NMC to cut down 294 trees on its premises.
The public hearing served as a platform for concerned citizens and environmental activists to express their objections to the proposed tree felling for various projects within the GMCH premises. The issues raised during the hearing emphasized the need for compliance with environmental regulations, the consideration of alternative options, and the implementation of compensatory plantation measures to mitigate the loss of trees. The fate of the 294 trees and the decision regarding the projects will now be subject to further review and consideration by the relevant authorities.
