Damage to saplings at Futala site: MSIDC shifts blame on stray cattle

Staff Reporter :

Corporation’s contractor entrusted work of compensatory saplings at Futala catchment area registers FIR at Ambazari Police Station blaming anti-social elements and stray cattle
MSIDC blaming others for the act when the maintenance of the plants was its own?
Planning to replant more saplings on same site and to deploy a security guard for their safety

Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) washed its hands off any wrong doing by registering an First Information Report (FIR) against some miscreants and cattle for damaging and uprooting of compensatory saplings at Futala Lake’s catchment area on Thursday.

The contractor appointed by MSIDC for implementation of compensatory plantation at Futala catchment area registered the FIR in Ambazari Police Station. Keeping the importance of the matter in mind, the Ambazari police started investigation in the matter. ‘The Hitavada’, on Wednesday, published a report with photographs titled “1,400 Saplings Found Damaged At Compensatory Plantation Site Meant To Offset Felling of 36 Trees”, which clearly mentioned and displayed the uprooted saplings and damaged tree guards at the site. These saplings were planted by MSIDC against felling of 36 full grown trees for construction of the new District Collectorate and Divisional Commissionerate in Civil Lines area.

On the basis of the report, Garden Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) inspected the spot and was planning to issue show cause notice to MSIDC for the incident. Whereas, to wave aside their responsibility, MSIDC it seems is trying to find a scapegoat to blame unidentified anti-social elements and stray cattle for this act and registered an FIR against them. But the question is, how can MSIDC blame others for this act when the maintenance of the plants was the responsibility of their own? As per the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, every project proponent should do compensatory plantation against felling of trees for a project.

According to the Act, the project proponent is also responsible for its survival and should maintain the saplings for the next 7-years. As per the information, MSIDC is going to take strict security measures by fencing the area and to deploy a security guard to avoid such act in future. MSIDC is also planning to replant saplings at the same spot. Drip irrigation system will be implemented to keep plants alive and for their better growth.