MSTA ayes felling of 1,363 trees in city sans check
   Date :30-Jun-2023

trees in city sans check 
 
 
By Kaushik Bhattacharya
Maharashtra State Tree Authority (MSTA), responsible for the fate of trees and green cover within the state, gave permission to fell more than 1,300 trees in the past six months in Nagpur for various projects. In six months, the tree authority conducted four meetings, in which Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) raised 11 proposals of tree felling for various development projects in the city. The state body allowed every proposal of tree cutting raised by the civic body in these four meetings. The state body, gave permission to fell more than 1,363 trees including 50 plus heritage trees. The cumulative age of these 1,363 trees is above 20,000 years.
 
In these meetings, the state body permitted NMC to fell trees without conducting any spot inspection. The state tree authority is conducting the eighth meeting on Friday, which would be fifth such meeting in six months. Two tree felling matters of Nagpur city will be tabled in this meeting. However, the ex-local tree committee members of Nagpur are raising question over the intention of state body for giving frequent permission for tree felling for various projects. NMC had formed the local tree committee in which four environment experts, three corporators and a couple of NMC officials were included. Municipal Commissioner and the Administrator Radhakrishnan B was the chairman of the local body. But, due to some reason, the body was dissolved by the chairman on June 14, 2022. The dissolving of the body was a shocker for the members of the local body who also raised question over the decision. Till then, there is no official local tree committee has formed, but the civic body is sending proposal of tree felling in every state body meeting and it is getting permission.
 
In the fourth meeting of the state tree authority, which was held after dissolving of the local tree committee, tabled eight tree felling matters of Nagpur. All the eight proposals got permission for tree felling and it is still continue even after seventh state tree committee meeting. “The state body is giving permission to fell trees in city without checking the facts and without raising question over the project,” Prachi Mahurkar, ex-local tree committee member told The Hitavada. “There are just four members and one chairman is handling the matters of the whole state. They never conduct any spot visit before giving any permission. What NMC providing details about projects and tress the state body is following it without any cross check,” claimed Mahurkar.
 
Kaustav Chatterjee, ex-local tree committee member said, “The main objective of tree committee should be to minimise the environmental damage and find way out a golden mean between environment protection and development. Nagpur Tree Committee was working on same philosophy. However, it is little surprising, the way permissions are being given by state level tree committee for felling of trees.” Though state level tree committee is insisting for geotagging and compensatory plantation but committee also need to check the ground reality. Tree committee need to evaluate the actual status of compensatory plantation against permissions already given before sanctioning fresh permissions, he said.
 
Proposal to fell 10 heritage trees to be tabled today 
 
NMC has sent a proposal to the state body for felling of 10 heritage trees on Amravati Road for construction of a flyover. The proposal will be tabled in the Eighth State Tree Committee meeting which is scheduled on Friday. However, the environment experts opposing the proposal as they are unaware about these 10 heritage trees which was not included in the list of 126 trees that is supposed to be felled for the said project. Kaustav Chatterjee said, “The proposal for cutting of trees for flyover from RTO to university campus was discussed in local tree committee meeting. Committee members had realised, there are many trees whose age might be more than 50 years. Hence, it was proposed to refer the case to state level committee.”
 
Total number of heritage trees were much more than 10, however, now, the permission is being asked for cutting only 10 trees. Need to check out, how the number has come down, may be there is a change in design, which might have saved some trees, said Chatterjee. Sachin Khobragade, ex-local tree committee member said, “There was 126 trees to be felled for the project. NMC published about felling of 126 trees.” There were no heritage trees included in the list. But where these 10 heritage trees come from for the same project?, questioned Khobragade.