Nagpur: The illegal chopping down of 17 full grown trees for construction of a private hospital in Nagpur’s Trimurti Nagar area snowballed into a major controversy. Acting on a complaint filed by tree crusader Sachin Khobragade, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) issued notice to Dr Ashish Ganjare of Aureus Hospital but named Swapnil Ingale in complaint lodged with police. Subsequently, Khobragade demanded filing of an FIR against Dr Ganjare.
In a letter shot to Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijit Chaudhary, Khobragade pointed out that he had on December 28, 2023, sought information regarding Dr Ashish Ganjare’s assurance that 2596 trees will be planted before cutting down 57 trees in a land owned by Dr Ganjare in Trimurti Nagar. But instead of providing information, Dr Ganjare chopped down 17 trees without permission of NMC’s Garden Department. Subsequently, had lodged an online complaint on February 21, 2024, in this regard.
Khobragade said that acting on his complaint, the Garden Department Superintendent on February 26 issued a notice to Dr Ganjare seeking clarification from him within seven days over cutting down of the 17 trees illegally. But surprisingly, in the letter sent to Pratap Nagar police, the Garden Department Superintendent asked the police to file an FIR against Swapnil Ravindra Ingale under the provisions of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, instead of Dr Ganjare. This action of the Garden Superintendent shows shielding the main offender, Khobragade claimed.
Khobragade has demanded filing of an offence against Dr Ganjare under Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation of Trees Act, 1975 for illegally chopping 17 trees for construction of a hospital in Trimurti Nagar.
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