Environmentalists fume as 1,000 more trees cut to widen Sirhind-Patiala road

The reckless cutting of trees to widen the Sirhind- Patiala road has taken centre stage. The current controversy has erupted after the civil society groups and environmentalists lodged a complaint over the cutting of over 1,000 trees which did not fall in the PWD’s road-widening plan. These trees fall in the jurisdiction of the Patiala forest division.

As many as 7,392 fully grown trees, including 1,176 shisham, 1,850 arjun, 1,413 mulberry 1,101 eucalyptus and 33 pipal, were already axed for the four-laning of the 22-km stretch.

While DC Preeti Yadav has assured to conduct a probe, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vidhya Sagri has said field verification had been ordered to look into the allegations levelled by environmentalists.

The Forest Department swung into action after a delegation of civil society groups met Ajoy Sharma, Principal Secretary, Forests, and submitted a formal complaint that at some places the trees were deliberately cut to benefit few colonisers.

“Instructions have been issued to conduct a field verification. Range officers have been told to submit a ground report. Trees were to be cut as per the layout plan, keeping in mind the alignment and width of the roads which varies at certain places. As a result, at few locations, one could find trees on the edge of the forest land while at other places, in view of the width of the road, the trees were cut to acquire land,” she said.

Sagri did not comment on the allegations that trees were cut to benefit certain colonisers in order to offer better view to their real estate projects.

Col JS Gill (retd), environmentalist and office-bearer of Public Action Committee, also one of the complainants, said surprisingly, the outer row of trees was intact towards the Sirhind side, while areas in the Patiala jurisdiction saw widespread cutting of trees on both sides of the road. “Instead of a departmental probe, an inquiry should be conducted either by a senior IAS official or any other probe agency,” he said.

On July 4, The Tribune had highlighted the issue of cutting of over 7,000 trees, prompting the NGT to send a notice to the Punjab Government.