Civic body illegally felled 3k trees in Ghaziabad, reveals RTI

Times of India: Ghaziabad: Tuesday, 19 August 2014.

An RTI by environmentalist Aakash Vasisth has revealed that the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has felled 4,935 trees, most of them illegally, over the last eight years. The three-page RTI reply by the Ghaziabad forest department says GDA had permission to fell 1,518 trees during the period, but has chopped down 4,935 plants/trees instead.

Refuting the forest department's charge, GDA vice chairman Santosh Yadav said, "For every tree cut by GDA, we pay for two saplings and their maintenance, so there is no question of illegality." He added that "the figure of 4,935 trees felled by GDA in eight years implies that on average, we fell two trees a day. Then why hasn't the forest department served us any notice? Why have they not lodged a single FIR against GDA?" Dripping sarcasm, Yadav added, "The forest department is a responsible body. We presume that the money we've paid it to plant and maintain trees has been rightfully used. We didn't cross check this, though."

The RTI also revealed that Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam (GNN) is also guilty of illegally felling 721 trees. GNN commissioner S K Singh says, "We follow rules while felling trees, so questions of illegality do not arise. But I'll get the matter probed."

The Uttar Pradesh protection of trees act, 1976, bans cutting of trees except when permitted by the divisional forest officer, in which case it requires the planting of two trees in lieu every tree cut. Violation of the law is supposed to invite punishment of up to 15 days in prison, if the offence is repeated after three notices. In the past, the national capital region planning board (NCRPB), too, has expressed concern about the rapid urbanization taking place in Ghaziabad at the cost of environment.

Vasisth, the environmentalist who filed the FIR, said, "Under UP forest act, even harming a tree by, say, chopping off its branches, is illegal. Yet so many trees have been felled by GDA. And now they are brazenly trying to skirt the issue." Vasisth added, "In the name of compensating for trees cut, what GDA has done is fell large tress with high timber value and replaced them with ornamental plants and shrubs in the green belt. This is a mockery of UP protection of trees act, 1976."

Ghazibad divisional forest officer Joga Singh said, "In 2009-10 alone, more than 3,000 trees were cut by GDA illegally. For this, the forest department slapped a fine of Rs 3,79,361 on it. Till date GDA has paid Rs 15,94,321 as fine."