London Street tree felling  

 

After a stern protest by green activists and citizens against ongoing tree felling for construction of a commercial building at London Street on Monday, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is ready to show the compensatory plantation site to citizens. Addressing a public hearing on Tuesday morning, Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Itankar asked the Garden Department and the contractor of the project to show the site where the compensatory plantation was carried out by the contractor after the directives of the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. As per the Garden Department, the project proponent planted more than 3,900 saplings at Bhandewadi and Telankhedi areas and the department has already inspected the site.

 

However, the green activists and citizens raised demand to visit the sites which was accepted by the commissioner. The protesters also raised demand to save trees on the project which is supposed to be felled. However, the Commissioner said that the court has already given its verdict on tree felling and the permission is also given as per the orders. “We have given permission to fell 67 trees on Plot No 4 and the court has also accepted it that the project proponent has already planted enough saplings as compensatory plantation,” claimed Ganesh Rathod, Deputy Commissioner, Garden Department while interacting with ‘The Hitavada’. The protest on Monday came after some residents noticed tree felling was underway at Plot No 4.

 

The news spread like a wild fire and a group of green activists and citizens gathered there and stopped it. However, the latest court order stated, “The total number of trees to be planted for Plot No 5 and 4 is 2561+261=5171. Taking into consideration that the respondent No 7 has planted in total 9,479 trees, still even if the 3,387 trees are excluded which were planted at Telankadi, the number of trees planted elsewhere comes to 6,092. An addition of 600 trees which are planted on London Street brings the figure to 6,692 which is 1,521 trees more than the required i.e. 5,171 trees for plot No 4 and 5”. It also stated, “From the reply of the respondent No 7, it is evident that the respondent No 7 has made compliances as regards to the environmental clearance, relating to the plot no 4 and 5 and plantation of compensatory trees”.