Axeing of five green deodar trees, battle gone to court
A Private Hotel owner axed five Deodar trees without seeking to have request permission from the Forest Department in the heart of the capital town.
Divisional Forest Officer Puneeta Bhardwaj said that after probing the matter challenge has been moved to the forest Court at Shimla and the wood was also kept in the custody of the hotel owner.
On the complaint of Ramakrishna Mission local unit forest department took action against the hotel owner who axed five trees without seeking permission.
According to the hotel owner, an application was moved for permission to cut five dangerous trees near the hotel but they were given verbal permission. However, the DFO and SDM concern stated that they are not allowed the hotel owner to cut any trees moreover there is a dispute with the owner of the land.
Ramakrishna Mission has now moved the application before the revenue authority to get demarcation of the lands where the tree has been axed.
According to the DFO damage report tune of Rs 40000 has been cut and all the timber woods were handed over in possession of the hotel owner till the matter was finally decided by Forest Court Shimla.
In the name of removing dangerous trees near the house, no one could cut trees without permission and if the dangerous tree is not in the land of the applicant matter should be decided by the administration and Tree Committee of Shimla MC.
No Braod leave and cedar tree could be cut in Shimla MC without having permission from the authorities concerned. In Shimla, MC SDM allows the cutting of trees after getting permission and a field report from the forest authority.
In the forest department land permission for cutting dangerous trees is also being given by the department on the consent of SDM. A number of trees which are dangerous uprooted on the houses and roads during recent rainfall but about 500 dangerous trees were removed by the owners on the permission of SDM.
About 400 trees are reported pending before the tree committee but permission was not granted earlier as no such committee was notified by the state government.
Shimla has a thick Deodar forest in Jakhu, Kaithu, Summerhill, and near IGMC hospital in the 16 green areas of the town.
